Princess the playful boxer mix ‘dreams of being someone’s pal.’ Help her find a new family

Princess doesn’t think of herself as royalty. She dreams of being someone’s pal.

This boxer pitbull mix has a playful spirit and invites anyone to join in the fun.

Princess has human friends of all ages. According to her previous owner, she’s a friend to like-minded dogs and has happily lived with cats.

Princess is a 4-year-old pup who spent the majority of her life with one family.

When she came to the San Luis Obispo County Animal Services shelter as a stray with three chubby puppies, Princess, who weighs less than 50 pounds, was skinny as a rail.

Her owners were contacted, but sadly acknowledged that they couldn’t provide for this canine family. So Princess and her pups became homeless.

The youngsters quickly found homes and Princess, due to her engaging personality and all the good qualities her previous owner outlined — housebroken, affectionate, well-trained — was soon adopted.

Unfortunately, changes in the adopters’ life — unrelated to Princess — made them realize they didn’t have the time to care for an active, people-focused dog.

Princess knows how to be a devoted four-legged family member. She takes treats gently, responds well to reward-based training and is a good candidate for a family with dog-savvy kids.

This affectionate dog appreciates attention from visiting humans,but kennel life is wearing her down and she yearns for a home.

Princess hopes Cinderella is right: “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

For more information about Princess (ID No. 265755), call the volunteer line at the San Luis Obispo County Animal Services shelter at 805-781-4400 or visit www.slocounty.ca.gov/aserv. The shelter is located at 885 Oklahoma Ave., off Highway 1, in San Luis Obispo.

The full-price adoption fee is $81 for cats and $115 for dogs, plus a $28 county license fee for dogs, if the adopters are San Luis Obispo County residents.

The adoption fee includes a new collar, a spay or neuter operation, basic vaccinations, a microchip and eligibility for a free veterinary check within San Luis Obispo County. Cats also are tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus, and adopters receive a carrier.