Colorado
Our Mission
Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue is a non-profit, all volunteer group in Colorado. Our small group consists of people who care for the homeless, abused, and unwanted boxers. Ho-Bo Care tries to find permanent and caring homes for these animals.
Our boxers come from shelters that need help, homes where they can’t stay at anymore, or from the streets. Often these animals are starved, sick or neglected. They need food, medicine or medical treatment and sometimes basic training. Mostly, however, they need an owner who is willing to give the necessary attention to the animal. A boxer is a dog who especially needs human companionship. He needs to be included in the family to be a happy dog. Ho-Bo Care agents try to assure the rescue boxer such a home.
To do our rescue work we spend a lot of time on the phone as well as on the road. All Ho-Bo Care Agents are volunteers and many of us have full time jobs outside of the rescue work we do. The costs of caring for the dogs include food, shelter, and medical care as well as advertisement costs and website costs. As the costs are increasing, we have to ask for donations to be able to continue our work. All the money goes back to our rescue boxers, either directly or indirectly. Ho-Bo Care also tries to help people with advice when they encounter a problem with their boxer. We try to educate people who intend to breed as well as offer advice to those who feel they need to give up their dog. Every dog that can stay in his own home is another dog saved. We try to educate people about the boxer and its needs. Our members inform interested people about the necessity of yearly vaccines, vet care, training, feeding, and overall care for their boxer.
Many people do not believe that the boxer needs our protection; this is mostly due to ignorance. Breeding by owners with no experience nor the necessary information has lead to an overpopulation of the boxer.
Spaying and neutering is still not a common practice of the average pet owner who may have never visited a shelter and the seen the misery of these animals. More and more purebred animals end up in shelters because the owners either don’t want them anymore or are unwilling to pay the shelter fee to retrieve their pet. Many owners believe that if the dog is placed in a shelter that it is sure to find a home. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. As much as the shelter may try to find homes, it also has a limited space to keep all the unwanted animals. In order to place the newcomers, others are killed. In order to help out at least our breed, we have founded Ho-Bo Care. It is a small step to help some animals in need.
"We are Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue with an emphasis on Care and Rescue" - Marita, Founder and director
Before...
...After
How Ho-Bo Care Was Started
Marita Rossmueller was the founder and director of Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue. Ho-Bo stands for Homeless Boxer. Marita has been the official “Boxer Rescue” in Denver since 1972, and Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue was incorporated in the State of Colorado in 1991.
Marita always loved dogs and realized early on that rescuing dogs was her passion. She was never afraid to stand up to someone abusing dogs and has been known to go toe to toe with dog fighters. Marita knew that she needed to do “Boxer Rescue” when an acquaintance was going to kill two puppies born to their Boxer simply because they were white. Since the AKC didn’t recognize white as a color of a Boxer, this was standard. Marita could have no part in that. That was when “Boxer Rescue” was born in Denver, Co.
"I met Marita in 2008 and she was a mentor to me. In the years that I have known Marita, she taught me so much. She taught me to be strong. In Animal Rescue you have to grow a thick skin to survive. She taught me never to back down for what is right. She taught me that people aren’t always going to like you and that is ok. She taught me that a good rescue stands behind their dogs 100% and forever. She taught me the importance of going with your gut. And she taught me that when a dog is in need, even if they aren’t a Boxer, you help the dog in need. After all, our name is Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue, but the emphasis is on “Care” and “Rescue.”
Marita was a force to be reckoned with. She was no nonsense and in it 100% for the dogs. She devoted her life to saving these dogs and she will be missed greatly. Filling her shoes is going to be one of the hardest journeys. However, whenever I am trying to make a decision, I just think to myself, “WWMD (What Would Marita Do)” and I know I am on the right path." -Michelle
In Loving Memory of Marita Rossmueller
November 2, 1939-November 22, 2019
