Great Dane, Mastiff Watched Over Body Of Owner For Week

PALM HARBOR, FL — It didn’t take long for these faithful dogs to find new owners.

Pirate, a Great Dane, and Savvy, a South African Mastiff, were taken in by Pasco County Animal Services after they were discovered watching over the body of their owner who died unexpectedly in her Pasco County home.

When family members hadn’t heard from the woman for a week, they contacted the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and asked that a deputy check on her. The deputy entered the home and found both dogs laying on the floor beside their owner, guarding her body.

Even after being locked in a house with no food or water for days, the two dogs were reluctant to leave their owner’s side, said Pasco County pet services supervisor Gina Botticello.

Botticello quickly realized that the depressed dogs required special care so she turned to the Suncoast Animal League in Palm Harbor for help.

The Suncoast Animal League often takes on special animal cases for Pasco County Animal Services like Denali, the American Staffordshire terrier who was severely burned last year after her owner locked her in a cage then set fire to the house in Lutz last year.

It wasn’t just the fact that Pirate and Savvy were grieving that created a challenge. It was their size.

Pirate is a 3-year-old male Great Dane standing about 32 inches tall. Although he was about 30 pounds underweight when he was found, when he fills out he will weigh between 140 to 175 pounds.

“He’s full of energy and believes every day is Wednesday,” said Suncoast Animal League Executive Director Rick Chaboudy.

In an effort to help, family members initially took Pirate home, but brought him back to Pasco County Animal Services a few days later after realizing the dog’s size and energy was more than they could handle.

Savvy is a female South African Mastiff, also known as a Boerboel. Female Boerboels can grow as tall as 22 to 25 inches high and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Even at 120 pounds, Savvy is too large to fit into the back seats of most vehicles. So, Suncoast Animal League staff member Lindsay Murray and volunteer Yvonne Jacobi opted to take a van to pick her up from Pasco County Animal Services.

The Boerboel’s life span is only 9 to 11 years, according to the American Kennel Club. Savvy is already 10 years old and suffers from an eye disease, a skin condition and joint problems that require medication.

After watching Savvy painfully walk into the lobby of Pasco County Animal Services on swollen joints, Murray and Jacobi laid blankets in the back of the van to give Savvy some cushioning for the ride to Suncoast Animal League. However, within five minutes, Savvy abandoned the blankets and made her way up to the front of the van where she stood between the two front seats for the remainder of the 45-minute drive, nudging Jacobi to pet her.

“Savvy is in her twilight years,” said Chaboudy “She needs a little peace, quiet and some special me, me, me time.” She also needs someone willing to adopt her knowing that she may only live another year or two, he said.

Ideally, Chaboudy said the league prefers to adopt dogs from the same home together. But with dogs this massive, it’s difficult to find one person willing to adopt both.

As a result, he said the league made the difficult decision to adopt the two dogs separately.

“As always, we look at the big picture and do what we believe is in the best interest of the dogs,” said Chaboudy.

Both dogs already have tentative permanent homes and will be officially adopted once they put on a bit of weight and recover from their grief. Pirate will also need to be neutered.

That day may be sooner than later.

“He’s a good boy,” Chaboudy said of Pirate. “His spirits are up and he’s not depressed like he was.”

Savvy’s foster mom, Missy Hardy, said it didn’t take long for a prospective dog owner to fall in love with the affable dog.

“She’s a dog that just wants to love and be loved,” she said.