08/16/2026
Buster is waiting for you to adopt him. Isn't he adorable! Available for adoption through MLCR! Get those apps in!
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Buster - Available for Adoption thru MLCR - Male, 5.5 years old
Animal Control received a call about a dog that was reportedly being choked by scrap metal. When officers arrived, they found an underweight Cane Corso chained to a picnic bench. Still, he was all tail-wags. Buster was rescued in January of this year in heartbreaking condition. He was emaciated, covered in flea strike, had two cherry eyes, and tested positive for heartworms. Nearly seven months later, he has filled out beautifully, both cherry eyes have been repaired and after a second surgery for a removal after a tack failed, and he is almost finished with his heartworm treatment. During that time, his personality has truly blossomed!
This five-and-a-half-year-old is a special guy with a heart full of love. He is a total into his people! He loves being petted, cuddled, and getting butt, tummy, and head rubs. Honestly, he's just happy if you're touching him. This big lug is a sweetheart through and through. He shows affection by gently nudging you with his bowling-ball-sized head or placing it in your lap. Fair warning—at 120 pounds, he may accidentally knock you over, but it's all an expression of love.
He does wonderfully meeting new people: however, he is a Cane Corso so we do believe Buster would naturally be protective if he felt his family was threatened but his everyday temperament is incredibly friendly. When meeting strangers, he immediately seeks head pats and happily wags his little nub. The foster has never seen him growl at, bare his teeth too, or act aggressively toward another person. In fact, he's kind of a little pansy. For the first few months after the foster brought him home, he would urinate if he became frightened. He has gained a lot of confidence since then, and despite his initial accidents, he is now completely house-trained. He also knows “sit” and “down”!
Buster has done wonderfully with every dog he has met. He currently lives with two resident pit bulls, Winnie and Brisket. Brisket is 12 years old, and they play together beautifully. He only initiates play when she wants to, and he immediately backs off once she gets tired. The other dog in the foster home has a much more dominant personality, and Buster has always respected her space without ever pushing her boundaries. He has also met several small dogs in public and has been gentle and appropriate with them. While he hasn't been introduced to a male dog his own size, the foster regularly brings him to work with her at the animal shelter, where he remains calm and respectful around dogs of every size, breed, age, and s*x, even if they are barking at him. He has also shown absolutely no signs of food or toy guarding. If another dog approaches something he's enjoying, he's much more likely to simply walk away and let them have it. We honestly suspect he lived with reactive or dominant dogs at some point because he goes out of his way to avoid conflict. The only animal not recommended Buster not live with is cats or small rodents. At work, he will bark and lunge when he sees them, so a home with cats would NOT be a good fit.
Buster has not had much exposure to young children but temperament-wise, he would be wonderful because he is incredibly affectionate. However, his size alone could accidentally knock over a small child. He doesn't jump or play roughly, but if the foster is sitting, he gives her one of his enthusiastic head nudges that nearly causes her to fall over. Buster is still working on taking treats gently. Right now, he gets a little too excited and tends to chomp down instead of carefully taking the treat. He has no bad intentions—he's simply food motivated—but a small child getting their fingers caught in the excitement.
Because Buster experienced starvation before he was rescued, he still has some food insecurity that shows itself in unusual ways. During his first few days in his foster home, he was literally passing garbage in his stool. Unfortunately, eating inappropriate objects is still a habit being worked through. If given the opportunity, Buster will happily try to eat toilet paper, cardboard, plastic, paper towels—honestly, almost anything. He's gotten much better with "drop it," but sometimes he's so quick that you can't catch him in time. Cardboard boxes are his absolute favorite. It would be one thing if he simply enjoyed shredding them, but he actually tries to eat them. Because of this, he cannot be left unsupervised in the house. If given the chance, he'll unroll the toilet paper, investigate every trash can, and search for anything remotely edible—or not edible.
To keep him safe, Buster stays in his own room whenever his humans are away from home. Initially the foster tried using a reinforced crate, but he would try and escape and was happier and calmer once the foster switched him to staying in a small bedroom with a comfortable bed and plenty of toys. He settled into that routine almost immediately. He simply curls up and sleeps until his humans come home. He doesn't bark, whine, or become destructive.
Buster absolutely loves being outside. If you let him, he'd spend the entire day sunbathing on the outdoor couch. He also enjoys barking at loud cars and lawnmowers as they pass by. He loves toys just as much. He is supervised to make sure he isn't trying to eat them, but one of his fosters’ favorite things is watching him rummage through the toy basket to carefully hand-pick exactly which toy he wants before proudly carrying it to his bed. The countless pictures of him holding toys in his mouth while happily wagging his little nub. It's absolutely adorable. He also enjoys large, durable chew toys, which can safely be left with him in his room while his humans are gone.
Buster is truly a wonderful dog. He is affectionate, loyal, trusting, and incredibly resilient. Because of his heartworm treatment, he hasn’t been able to do many outdoor adventures, but we are confident he's going to love hiking, long walks, and exploring once he's fully cleared of the heartworm. He rides beautifully in the car, walks nicely on a leash, and is happiest simply being near his people. He has a gentle soul hidden inside a giant body. There's nothing quite like coming home to see his entire little butt wiggle with excitement or feeling his enormous head lean into you for affection. He loves naps, toys, cuddles, and every bit of attention he can get. Buster truly is a lovebug.
Because Buster required multiple surgeries to correct his horrific cherry eye condition, the veterinarian recommended to continue using the slow kill method since he had completed a good portion of the treatment already. Normally MLCR would only place a Corso available for adoption after the ‘fast kill’ heartworm treatment is complete but in Buster’s case we think he deserves to be with his forever family now rather than in a few more months. MLCR will continue to support Buster and his family through heartworm treatment. Buster is neutered, fully vaccinated, microchipped, and in the later half of his heartworm treatment. We hope his status of still being treated will not prevent you from adopting this sweet boy as he is most deserving of your love and affection.
Buster is currently be fostered in North Carolina but he loves going for rides and with our fabulous Corso Cabbie network he can travel to other states. So, if you are searching for a soulful boy who loves to cuddle and be with his people, Buster may be your guy. Please apply to adopt Buster at https://mustlovecorsosrescue.org/adopt-foster-application/.
