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Joe is a pit bull/dalmation mix who needs help. He is the worst abuse case I have ever seen in my years of rescue. He had
been abandoned by his owner and dumped in her relative's backyard. When I picked Joe up the fourth of July, I felt as if I
were in one of the yards one sees on the show Animal Cops.
It was horrible. Joe was completely emaciated and covered with fleas. The worst part was the sadness I felt from Joe.
He did not know what he'd done wrong to deserve being left alone in that awful place.
I brought Joe home with me, bathed him and gave him something to eat. He got a little relief that night, but the next
day upon examining him, I noticed his right hip jutting out. I took him to the vet for x-rays. The vet was so alarmed by Joe's
obvious anemia, he was afraid to put him on the table to x-ray him for fear Joe would go into shock and die right there on
the table.
Joe had a severe case of whipworms and is infested with heartworms. We are not even going forward with the hip problem
until we take care of the parasite infestation. The heartworm treatment will take place over the next five months with a follow
up after a year. During the last two months of the five month treatment, Joe will need to be hospitalized at least twice.
The treatment is expensive and we are asking for your help.
I would like to tell you a little bit about Joe. He is the most wonderful people loving, dog loving, kid loving dog I
have ever seen. I took him down to the lake to walk by the water and he began to whimper and cry. I unfastened his leash and
he jumped in that water like a fish! I have to be careful due to his condition, but the joy he gets from going to the lake
seems to be the best medicine for him right now.
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Click Joes picture to view Joe's article written by longtime Reunion Rescue friend and Best Friends advocate, Carlha Vickers.
Joe continues to thrive and shows us every day how great life can be. He doesn't waste a minute worrying about the bad breaks
he had being abandoned and left to die...instead, he gets up with a smile on his face from sun-up to sundown, just happy to
be alive...
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August 30, 2008
Joe is regaining his strength and getting ready to undergo his heartworm treatment. His fur had been coarse, brittle and
hard on July 4 when we brought him to Reunion Rescue. From a good, healthy diet, Joe's skin is becoming soft to the touch
and his coat silky....his amazing Dalmation dots are popping out everywhere on his body and the doctor has told us to slow
down on the feeding or he'll need to go on a diet! He goes in for his treatment beginning the first of October.
January 15, 2009:
Joe is finished with his heartworm treatments and went for his first long hik- 6.5 miles in the greenbelt today...as if
that were not enough, he had to make up for lost time by taking a few dips in the water holes along the way...this boy thinks
he's a fish!!!
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