September 11: The Rescue of Joe

The Animal Care Network is very in touch with the community and we really appreciate it when people tell us about dogs and cats in trouble. Someone flagged us down and asked us to check on a very skinny dog living under a board and a tarp. It did not sound good.

Kathy and Heather made this address their top priority. The complaint was true. Joe was chained with a very large tow chain, barely able to move, all his bones were showing, hair missing and his ears were blood raw from the flies. He was surrounded by garbage.

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The resident stated that “someone” had left Joe back there and never came back for him – a typical scenario that we hear time after time. This resident also had a dog which was in very good shape. How they could feed and water one dog and not the other is beyond our comprehension.

The important thing was that Joe was surrendered and left that property never to look back or be neglected like that again. Many of you will ask, “Are they going to be charged with neglect or animal cruelty?” And the answer is no they are not. If the address was reported to animal control, they would simply claim what they did to us: “We don’t know whose dog it is or someone left it in our backyard.” End of story. So we move on and were just all happy that Joe is safe now.

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Joe had a bath, which he loved! His ears were full of dirt and were bloody and raw from the flies. After melting into Heather’s lap, we transferred him into a crate in the rescue van where he again snuggled into a blanket with a fresh bowl of cool water and a little food as to not upset his stomach because he hadn’t eaten in a while.  

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He was very appreciative and was so grateful to be rescued. Joe is in a temporary foster home where is being nursed back to health and is as happy as can be. He is being evaluated as he gets better to determine what type of home he would do best in.

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We are looking for a foster or a permanent home for Joe, so if you are interested please call our office at 248-545-5055. You must be local and experience with the breed is a must!