Lucy

Meet Lucy — Grace, Goofiness, and Puppy Love All in One Lucy is a gorgeous 5-month-old Great Dane mix (with Cane Corso, American Pitbull, and Husky in her DNA) who’s shaping up to be a lean, medium-to-large beauty rather than a full-on giant.

She embodies that distinctive Dane elegance, with expressive eyes complemented by irresistible, lively puppy energy. In her foster home, Lucy is outgoing, curious, and always ready for her next adventure. She loves her toys, plays well with other dogs, and absolutely soaks up human attention. Whether it’s playtime or cuddle time, she’s all in. Lucy is already house- and crate-trained, and she knows her humans’ favorite word—“No”—which immediately gets her attention.

Like most young pups, she can be easily distracted and has a short attention span, but she’s eager to learn and is making steady progress. Leash training and wait/stay commands are currently underway. Having been left at a shelter as a young puppy, Lucy can be a bit shy and nervous at first. The good news? She’s gaining confidence every day in her foster home, especially with the help of another dog showing her the ropes.

She’s a sensitive soul who’s clearly on the brink of blossoming. In the evenings, once the day winds down, Lucy turns into a total sweetheart—she loves curling up close, often choosing her human’s lap as her favorite place to relax.

Lucy would truly thrive in a home with another playful dog to help her build confidence, burn off energy, and continue becoming the happy, secure pup she’s meant to be. With love, patience, and a playful companion, Lucy is going to shine. Ready to give this elegant, affectionate girl the forever home she deserves? Lucy can’t wait to meet you. A fenced yard is required. Currently fostered in Cary, NC

Interested in adopting Lucy? Email info@greatdanefriends.com to request an application.

✨ Adopt Lucy—and have a loving companion for life.

Maya

Maya - Sanctuary Pup
Maya has been one of our long term complex medical cases. When Maya initially came to the rescue, she had a long term history of urinary incontinence since she was about 6 months old. She spent a majority of her life wearing diapers. Because of this, Maya went through at least 3 different homes before age 2 and a half before coming to GDFRL. We hoped that Maya’s issues were uti’s that would be fixed by repairing her hooded vulva, but it was found that she had a lot more going on. Maya was urinating blood and incredibly uncomfortable, although you wouldn’t have known it based on her happy go lucky demeanor. Maya came to us with a rare form of bacteria that caused a condition called Encrusting Cystitis. This bacteria was essentially a superbug that formed infection so severe, it caused plaques and “masses” throughout her urinary tract. Upon initial ultrasound, it was believed that she had bladder cancer, but after undergoing a cystoscopy procedure, they determined that it was caused by a potentially fatal infection. The infection spread to over 70% of her urinary tract which can be fatal, but thankfully, GDFRL stepped in and got her the intensive care she needed at NC state. Maya has since undergone multiple cystoscopies to scrape out the bacteria and perform multiple antibiotic infusions directly into her bladder. She has also had her hooded vulva repaired to help reduce her recurring UTIs. In addition, she had a major surgery to re-route her urinary tract that was likely formed abnormally before birth and was contributing to bacteria overgrowth. While Maya still struggles with recurring UTIs, she is now monitored very closely with regular urine cultures and trips to NCSU. She still leaks urine occasionally but has graduated from doggy diapers! Maya is the true definition of a trooper, as she has handled numerous surgeries and procedures, yet still remains a favorite (and VIP) by all of her vet staff. While she may face a lot of medical battles, she is a spunky young girl who loves to play fetch with her two-legged foster siblings, take walks, and wrestle (always gently) with her 15 lb foster fur-brother.
 

Help Us Help Maya

Please consider donating towards the medical costs of our sanctuary dogs. Their special medical needs should not keep them from a happy life that’s as pain-free as possible.
Your support makes this possible.