This morning (January 5, 2017) we helped our sweet Jo Jo cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Jo Jo was a beautiful, sweet Shepherd mix who came into our care June 16, 2011. He was brought to us at the old Puppy Palace in town by a homeless man who said he was leaving the country. Jo was sporting a harness fashioned out of twine, and was not young. He had an old scar on one hip and leg, and we later found out that he had at some point been hit by a vehicle and had suffered a broken pelvis.
Jo was wonderful with humans and the female dogs, but he and Chow and Yancy didn’t much care for one another. We were lucky enough to find a really great home locally for Jo where he passed a very happy year. The family left the country and left him behind with the person who rented their house. He was not cared for properly, and the person left him outside on the road, where he was hit by a car and his hind leg and damaged hip injured again.
We took Jo Jo back immediately. Jo suffered from anxiety, and this was much worse after his abandonment and accident. He was too anxious to live in the kennel area and still didn’t mix well with Yancy.
So Jo became a house dog and he and little Marilyn Monroe, a tiny senior rescue poodle enjoyed the run of the house and slept in John and Terry’s room. We called Jo Marilyn’s body guard, and they were great friends. He was very, very happy with his stable routine, and his small family for several years.
Jo’s old injuries took their toll, and he began to have difficulty with the stairs. We treated him with pain medication as his back and hips had become painful, and he did okay for a while. His mobility declined over the past few months, and when he no longer could manage the stairs, Terry moved him downstairs, arranged a non-slip carpet area so he could stand more easily, and made sure that he was happy and comfortable in his new space.
Yesterday he couldn’t stand up, even assisted. His hind legs swelled up and he was in pain even with all the medication. Terry spent his last night with him sleeping beside him and holding him close. This morning, Dr. Calderon came up to put our “Yo-Yo” to sleep for good. We are so grateful to Dr. JP for allowing Jo to pass at home and for not having to move him.
Jo Jo, you are very, very missed and will be in our hearts forever. We hope that you are running free and fast on the other side.
Jo Jo is a gorgeous mature German Shepherd cross. He is probably about 7 years old and very much a people guy. Jo loves people, especially men and children. He is a sanctuary dog, but is available for local adoption for permanent foster.
We found Jo being dragged around on a string harness by a very unstable American street person. The guy was trying to sell Jo for Q10. The dog was thin, dirty, and had a large number of bites and scrapes on his face and body.
We took the dog away from the man, and got his injuries treated. After he recovered, Jo lived with the rescue dogs in our old facility. He settled in well, although he really never liked Xiao Chow and we had to keep them separate.
Friends adopted Jo Jo after their home was broken into. They wanted a large, intimidating looking dog to be with them, but at the same time, they wanted a family dog. They had a toddler, so they wanted a dog that loved children. jo Jo was everything they wanted in a dog and more. He bonded very strongly with the child, and loved his family completely. Stories of his loyalty and amazing patience with his boy just melted our hearts. He took good care of his house and yard, too. The family never had problems with anyone trying to enter their home once Jo was on the job.
We truly thought that Jo Jo had found his forever home. Alas, it was not to be. The family moved to Africa, and decided to leave Jo behind. This decision broke our hearts, and it most certainly broke Jo’s heart, too. They rented their Antigua home, and the renter asked to adopt Jo Jo. He assured us that he really wanted the dog. We thought that this might be the second best option for Jo (a distant second to going with his beloved family), but at least he would stay in his home and the ample yard he knew well.
Jo was not the same dog, but he seemed resigned to his new situation, and we hoped for the best. Some eight months after adopting Jo, his new owner decided to leave Guatemala, too. He contacted us, and we of course agreed to take the dog back. However, the night before we were to pick him up, the owner left Jo Jo out all night on the street, and he was struck by a car and badly injured. Luckily, Jo survived. We later found out that Jo Jo had been left out on many occasions, not to mention many other irresponsible acts, terminating with his “owner” leaving the country with the veterinary bill for Jo Jo’s accident unpaid!
Poor Jo was incredibly anxious and barked loudly with anxiety most of the time. We tried placing him in another young family, but his anxiety made it difficult for them. So Jo Jo was returned to us yet again.
He has settled in to life on the mountain very well. He now sleeps in John and Terry’s bedroom in the main house. He spends lots of time on the upstairs porch with them, and his anxiety has ramped down now that he feels secure and loved again. He hangs in the yard with the porch dogs during part of the day, and enjoys going for walks in the coffee farm.
Jo Jo could be adopted. He is a truly wonderful family dog. But after his terrible experiences and abandonment, it would need to be with a really wonderful family who would not dump him. If placed again, it needs to be for the rest of Jo’s life.
Jo Jo is a little stiff and has some arthritis. He gets around fine, but will likely need to be put on Rimadyl or similar medication as he ages. He gets along well with most dogs, but much prefers females to males. He is fully house trained, very chill and easy going, and extraordinary with children.
