Description:
Joey is the luckiest Border Collie I have ever met. Why do I say that? Because he happened to be at the right place at the right time for one of our volunteers to spot him. Uh huh, yup, mighty lucky pup. I'll let Janie tell you his story:
"I went to Animal Control to see a dog for a friend. In the cage beside the dog I actually went to see was a filthy dirty, missing hair, super sweet Border Collie mix. He was scared, but trying so hard to be friendly. He reminded me of a young child who was so scared but trying sooo hard to be brave and not cry. I asked to take him out and took him outside and sat down and he just crawled into my lap. I was truly haunted by his eyes.
I went home and dreamed about him that night. I went back to visit him the next day, hoping someone had applied to adopt him. Because he was in the isolation unit - (because he was missing hair) he did not have much of an opportunity for anyone to see him. I know it sounds weird, but I just couldn't leave him there. I couldn't. I had to find a way to save him. I begged my husband if I could just take him in as a foster until I find a home for him (after all I did spend all day on Ebay one day trying to win my husband tickets to the FL/GA football game.) My husband, who thinks I have too many pets already agreed as long as I worked very hard to find him a home.
Joey has a flea allergy, which is why he lost a bunch of hair (A friend and I spent an hour bathing and picking fleas off him). It is beginning to grow back nicely. He is fairly small boned - only weighs 28 pounds, but need to probably gain about 5 or so pounds. He is definitely too thin. He is about 1 year old. His disposition is wonderful. He is a bit timid still, but is warming up more and more. He LOVES, LOVES people!! He loves my children and is sweet and gentle. Greets everyone with a tail wag and really wants to be petted and snuggled. I imagine any new situation will take some getting used to for him, but it will be worth it. He is still a little nervous about my dogs - though he ran around the yard with my Australian Shepherd mix this morning for the first time. He is very submissive and would probably do best with a dog that is not an "in your face" dog. He does not chase my cats, he gives them a wide berth - he has perhaps experienced a cat claw in the face before? He is a Border Collie, and will probably do best in a home with a yard or an active family who will spend lots of time exercising him. From what I know of him so far, he doesn't seem overly hyper at all like some border collies can be."
See, lucky! What were the chances of him being next to the dog that Janie's friend went to see? And let me tell you, Janie doesn't hang out at Animal Shelters - she has waaaaay too soft of a heart. But she is also one of our online screeners and knows tons about dogs and is terrific at matching the right dog with the right family. If you think Joey might be the one for you, fill out an adoption application and Janie will be in touch. And if he isn't the right one, Janie will point you to your perfect match!


According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Border Collie originated in Northumberland on the Scottish/English border. The breed is descended from old British droving breeds with some spaniel added. An outstanding herder, this hardy, agile, untiring sheepdog, is capable of mastering any type of herd. It is said that the Border Collie has an eye that can hypnotize cattle. He crouches down and mesmerizes the animals with its intense stare. One of the most trainable breeds, the Border Collie also serves well as a narcotics and bomb detection dog and is a frequent high performer in obedience, agility, Frisbee(TM) trials, police work, search & rescue, Flyball, performing tricks and competitive obedience. Some Border Collies have been trained very successfully as blind guide dogs. Currently very good results are obtained with them for general assistance to the handicapped in The Netherlands. The Border Collie is a very intelligent and responsive dog. They thrive on praise, are sensitive and