mahina

_________ B I O ______________

Name: Mahina Size: ~Medium range: 26-60 lbs Adoption Donation:  $250 - $100= $150* (applicable sales tax included). Adoption fees may be paid by cash or check. *A donation of $100 was given towards Mahina’s adoption fee.

Other:  Spayed Female, Vaccinations current, Microchip, Need A Dog Buddy

** Mahina is taking daily and situational medications for anxiety and fear. She is taking Sertraline at a cost of $20 for a month supply. She is also on Clonidine situationally at a cost of $18 for a 60 count supply

Mahina is a gentle soul looking for a patient, loving home.

Foster Home Feedback

** Needs a dog buddy to feel comfortable

7/22/26 Temporary Care Feedback: Mahina is a very sweet, shy girl who just needs a moment to feel comfortable — but once she does, get ready for kisses. She’s treat‑motivated, loves to snuggle on your lap, and will happily nap right beside you. At heart she’s still a big puppy who enjoys being outside or staying close to her person.

With a little patience, Mahina becomes the best buddy you could ask for. She’d thrive with a single person or an active couple who can give her the gentle reassurance she needs.

If you have room in your heart for this honey of a girl, please apply. Thank you for looking.

7/5/26 Temporary Care Feedback: Mahina is one of the dogs I will never say no to babysitting. She is an absolute sweetheart and has so much love to share. Mahina may take a bit longer to show you that love, but once she trust you, her love is no question.

While babysitting Mahina, I got to take her to an adoption event at Natural Pet Center. She came with me and my current foster, Dale Doback, who is also a bit anxious around new friends. Mahina and Dale gave each other so much confidence. Mahina showed Dale at the beginning of the event it’s okay to take cheese from strange ladies. Dale showed Mahina by the end of the event it’s okay to also accept pets from the strange ladies. Both dogs are still a bit weary of the strange men, but slowly are coming out of their shells more and more.

Mahina has been one of the easiest to care for dogs to come into my home. She listens, eats all her food immediately (slow feeder necessary), and kennels amazing. It should be noted Mahina is easy as long as you have the right household setup. Mahina’s dream home would be one with her main caregiver(s) being a female, a house that has limited foot traffic of new people, another dog companion, a predictable schedule, and a fenced in outside area (for her zoomies!).

Mahina gets to hang out with a guinea pig while at my house. After the first 20 minutes, Mahina couldn’t care less about the guinea pig. Mahina will randomly go peek into his cage if he is running around, but always walks away after a few seconds and ignore him again. No barking, no obsessive staring, just a quick “you okay dude?” and it’s back to normal life.

Mahina is an angel. If you have patience, love, and string cheese, Mahina could be your new best friend.

6/30/26 Foster Feedback: Mahina continues to make gains in building her confidence in meeting new people. She has been in a shared foster situation to give her the opportunity to meet a variety of people and learn that people are kind and want to help her feel safe. Mahina warms up fairly quickly now to women that are new to her. If she is allowed to approach on her own, she will come and take treats and may even allow some petting within a short period of time. She is still quite cautious when meeting new men, but we have seen great improvement on this skill. While she may growl or cowers initially, if they do not approach her and give her space, she has been able to take treats from them eventually.
Mahina continues to need a home that will go at her pace and make new and scary situations feel safe and secure. She does well in a home that is quieter without a lot of people coming and going. She continues to be anxious in many situations, however we have seen a decrease in the severity with medication and training. Mahina needs a home that understands this need for calmness and space.
Are you a retired person or couple looking for a couch potato to snuggle with? She would LOVE to be your heating pad this winter! Are you a fan of a Zen lifestyle where peace and tranquility reign? She would love to chill with you and learn some new yoga poses! Everyone that meets Mahina, falls in love with her and talks about what an easy dog she is to have in their home. Are you that special home that she has been waiting for?!

5/18/26 Temporary Care Feedback: I had the absolute honor of babysitting Mahina for the weekend, and she completely stole my heart. Mahina can be very nervous in new environments, but with the help of her new doggie friends, she slowly started building confidence and coming out of her shell. By the end of her stay, she was doing zoomies around the house, barking at the mailman, and soaking up couch cuddles like she had always been here.

Mahina is truly an angel. She listens incredibly well, is potty trained, and kennel trained. She walks nicely on a leash, though there are moments where she needs to pause and build up the confidence to keep going. Once she feels safe, her sweet and goofy personality shines through.

If you have patience, love, understanding, and other dogs in your home to help guide her, Mahina will make an incredibly rewarding companion.

3/30/26 Foster Feedback: I’ve only had Mahina in my home for a few days, but she’s already settling in nicely and showing us who she is. The biggest thing to know about Mahina is that she does best with other dogs. When she has a dog buddy (or a small pack), her confidence goes up and she’s much more comfortable navigating new situations. She really looks to other dogs for cues and reassurance.

At the shelter, she was very hesitant to approach new people on her own. But when another dog was present, she was much braver and willing to come over and say hello. That pattern has continued in her foster home.

Mahina is still shy with new people and prefers to take things at her own pace. She’s not the type of dog who will immediately seek out attention or pets, but she is making steady progress. She tends to warm up more quickly to women, though she is improving with men—she’ll just need a little extra time and patience there. She’s currently on medication to help with fear and anxiety, which seems to be supporting her progress.

In the home, Mahina has been incredibly easy. She is quiet in her kennel, keeps it clean, and has had no accidents. She’s adjusted to the household routine very quickly and seems happy in a calm, low-key environment.

Her ideal home would include at least one other dog and an adopter who is willing to go slow and let her build confidence over time. She’ll likely settle in fairly quickly with women in the home, and may do well with men who are patient and give her time and space to warm up.

Mahina can be a very manageable, low-maintenance dog who just needs the right environment to continue gaining confidence.

2/11/2026 Foster Feedback: Mahina has been living with us for a couple of weeks and we are starting to see little glimmers of her sweet and silly side. She arrived in rescue due to a difficult situation which resulted in her not receiving a lot of socialization. We are working on building her confidence with new people and experiences and she is trying to be brave!

Mahina is very smart and food motivated, so she enjoys her lessons. She had her first "shy dog" class this week and did well. At this time we feel that Mahina is going to need a female in her home as she is much more comfortable with women. She is living with two kids (4 and 6 years old) and she doesn't pay much attention to them. She is warming up to my 6 year old daughter slowly but both kids know to give her space and let her come to them on her terms. Mahina previously lived with a woman so she instantly bonded to me- foster mom- and she is a velcro dog with me! She is gentle, wants to lay next to me, and does the cute little jump up on me with her front paws so daintily you barely feel her!. Mahina is curious about my husband when he is sitting down but when he stands up or speaks to her she gets scared. She walks pretty well on leash and seems to enjoy our short walks -smelling all the smells the neighborhood has to offer.

Mahina is GORGEOUS! She is a petite 39 pounds and is generally quiet in her kennel. Mahina lived with cats in her prior home and is currently living with two dogs. She is going to need a patient home who is committed to helping her navigate her new world. A home that doesn't have a lot of new people coming and going will likely be best. Mahina does feel safe in her kennel so when we have new people come over we put her in there until our guests are seated (and our dogs calm down:) and we can invite her out into a calm environment.

Mahina has only had one accident since arriving. She doesn’t tell us that she needs to go out yet but when kept on a good schedule she potties outside every time.

We know Mahina is a special girl and can't wait for her to find her person/people.