Rescue Tails / Zola

By Tara McFarland

Sometimes someone very special comes through our shelter doors. It feels like we’ve seen it all, but every now and then we find ourselves surprised. At our Marathon Campus some of the most memorable animals we’ve seen were a Sphynx rat (hairless rat), Bengal cat, Giant African Sulcata Tortoise, a Prairie Dog, pythons, rare and exotic parrots and even a goldfish! So when we met Zola, the 160 pound South African Boerboel it goes without saying, we were surprised!

“Boer,” a Dutch word meaning “farmer,” was the name given to Dutch, German, and Huguenot settlers of South Africa who began arriving in the mid-1600s. To protect their remote homesteads from predators, they brought along large guarding dogs, bull types and mastiff types among them. The interbreeding of these and other European bloodlines in South Africa resulted in something called the Boer Dog, which was used by Boer settlers as a big-game hunter and protector. In South Africa in the early 1980’s, a search was started for the original Boer dog. From the 5500 kilometers that were covered, 250 dogs were found. Of those, only 72 were selected for registration. Presently, the breed is still relatively unknown and considered to be rare. However, in 2006 the Boerboel was included in the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service. The Boerboel was admitted to the AKC Working Group on January 1, 2015.

Having a Boerboel in the United States is rare, let alone having one enter our shelter here in the Florida Keys. Despite her intimidating size and appearance, Zola, like many large breed working dogs, was quite simply a gentle giant. Her gentle eyes could melt your heart, and as you reached out to pet her she would flop onto her side and roll her enormous body over for what were most certainly the biggest of all belly rubs. Despite her sweet personality, we worried if someone would have room for Zola in a home. We shared her story on social media and hoped for the best.

Once again we were in for another surprise! Her photo captured the hearts of adopters near and far. With over 100 comments, 500 likes and shares and multiple phone calls and emails inquiring about her adoption, we quickly realized this special girl’s stay at the shelter would not be long! In just one day we were able to make a perfect match with a local family and Zola was whisked away to her new life. Young or old, big or small, every animal here at the Florida Keys SPCA has a family out there waiting for them, just as they are waiting for you. If you’re looking for someone special, look no further than your local shelter. View our adoptable animals online at fkspca.org/adopt or call us at 305-743-4800 in Marathon or 305-294-4857 in Key West.