08/29/2026
MARY IS ADOPTED!!!! Please share!
THIS IS MARY’S HAPPY ENDING! AND HER NEW BEGINNING!!
Mary was with CB Rescue for more than a year.
For a little dog under ten pounds, she certainly left a very big impression on everyone who got to know her.
We don’t know everything about Mary’s life before she came to CB Rescue, but there were things about her behaviour that made us wonder if she may have been hurt in the past. Sometimes she would look as though she wanted to be petted, but when a hand reached toward her, she wasn’t quite sure. She needed people who could read her, respect her space and let her decide when she was ready.
And once Mary trusts you, what an incredibly sweet little dog she is.
Over the past year, Mary spent time in both Belinda’s home and Lori’s home. Lori absolutely fell in love with her and said Mary was one of the sweetest little dogs she had ever fostered — and that says a lot considering Lori has fostered close to 200 dogs for CB Rescue over the years.
During all that time, Mary never went out on a trial.
There were families interested in her, but Belinda just never had that feeling that she had found Mary’s family. With a dog like Mary, it wasn’t about finding someone willing to adopt her. It was about finding the home where Belinda could look at Mary and know, this is where you belong.
Then, a little over a month ago, Joe called us from the Okanagan.
He and his family were interested in Mary.
After Belinda got off the phone with him, she looked at Colin and said:
“I found Mary’s home.”
There was only one problem.
It was all the way in the Okanagan.
But if you know Belinda, you probably already know that wasn’t going to stop her.
Belinda had been talking with the family and decided she wanted to personally take Mary to her new home. Darla had also found a home in the Okanagan, so Belinda and Colin packed up the two girls and made the drive to BC.
And when they arrived, everything Belinda had felt over the phone was confirmed in person.
Mary’s new family invited Belinda and Colin into their beautiful home for dinner. They were warm, down-to-earth people who understood that Mary needed patience and time. They shared many of the same values about caring for their dogs, including feeding healthy food.
And perhaps most importantly, there was Vinny.
One of the things Belinda felt strongly about was that Mary should have another little dog in her new home. Vinny, the family’s Chihuahua, was waiting for her.
Belinda had loved this family on the phone.
She loved them even more after meeting them.
When Belinda and Colin finally left the Okanagan and started the drive home, Belinda felt something she hadn’t been able to feel with any of the previous families who had shown interest in Mary.
She felt completely at peace.
After more than a year of caring for Mary, protecting her, understanding her quirks and waiting for exactly the right people, she knew Mary was home.
And then the updates started coming.
Mary and Vinny play together. They run around together. They sleep together.
And there is one little story that might be our favourite.
Apparently Vinny has never been much of a walker. He would walk for a little while and then decide he wanted to go straight back home.
Well, the other day Mary was heading out for her walk and little Vinny was trying to get out through the side of the gate because he wanted to go with Mary.
How adorable is that?
This is why we do rescue.
It isn’t simply about finding a dog a home. It’s about finding that dog the right home — a place where they won’t simply have a life, but where they can have a happy, wonderful life.
Rescue certainly has its ups and downs. As Belinda has said many times, the dogs are rarely the difficult part. But then something like this happens, and you remember exactly why you keep going.
Mary waited more than a year.
And looking at her now, maybe she wasn’t waiting at all.
Maybe we were just waiting for Joe, Bella, Vinny and the rest of her family to find her.
We’re going to share some pictures below of Mary in her new home and, of course, with her new little brother Vinny.
To all of you who followed Mary’s journey and cheered her on while she was with CB Rescue, please leave a message for Mary and her new family in the comments.
This is what rescue is about.
Happy life, sweet Mary.
You were worth the wait.
Remember when Mary first came to CB Rescue? She had this worried look on her wrinkly forehead. Look at her now lounging poolside! Life is good Mary!
