Meet Joey

Joey's surgical site has healed, so we said goodbye to the e-cone. He's been enjoying lots of toys, and we've discovered he adores treats too. Over Labor Day, he traveled with his foster family to Tahoe for a long weekend getaway, riding easily in the car and enjoying the mountain air on the deck. Joey's surgery was successful, with two plates used to repair his fracture, as his bone was broken into multiple fragments. He was discharged on August 29th to convalesce for 6-8 weeks. He's on strict crate confinement during this time to allow his bones to heal. In just a week, his incision has healed under the protection of his bandage, which fell off on the 7th day, and on cue, he's begun to bear weight on the leg. This little guy also had 4 baby teeth hanging on, even though the adult teeth had already erupted. This week he's lost 7 baby teeth, three of which his foster mom found in his chew toys. Pups normally swallow their baby teeth, but he's been shedding them so fast that a few have gotten stuck on his chew toys. He's loving cheekbones and similar toys to help his achy teeth feel better. Joey has also mastered crate and potty training, although he loves snuggle time right next to his foster mom when he's out for potty and meals. Please join us to welcome Joey, who arrived at the local shelter with a serious fracture of his right femur. Since Hitchcock Road Animal Services urgently needed a medical rescue, we reached out to our friends at @UCDavisFractureProgram to see if they could assist. Joey also had an infected open wound, so we had to act quickly. Fortunately, there was a surgery slot available for him if we could get him to Davis the next day. The volunteers arranged transport within hours of the "yes" for a surgery slot, and this morning, volunteers drove Joey from Salinas to Davis. Joey arrived at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital within 20 hrs after the shelter put out a rescue plea for Joey. Joey has now joined the ShepHeroes family and is very sweet. He has already had his X-ray and blood work, and he is now getting ready for surgery Friday morning; if everything goes well, he will be able to head to his foster home Saturday morning. Joey will have to be confined to a crate for a few months so his leg can heal before he can return to his normal activities. We’re excited for a successful outcome, with a full recovery and a wonderful forever home. If you want to help look after Joey for the next two months, you can send him treats and toys from our Chewy or Amazon wish lists, or make a donation via Venmo at @shepheroes. The donate button next to his bio at www.shepheroes.org/adopt is another option to support Joey. We are very thankful for any support you can give as we just launched Ambra, aka Summer, to her forever home after 4 months with us while she healed from multiple surgeries. We continue to care for Otti, who has been with us for 9 months, has undergone two abdominal surgeries, and was recently diagnosed with EPI.Have you seen our YouTube channel? We would really appreciate your support by subscribing, liking, and commenting on our videos of adoptable shepherds in action. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and our new Threads account, where we share lots of news and updates about our shepherds. Since ShepHeroes is a foster-based rescue, we always need more foster homes. Many shepherds in our local shelters need a fresh start. Would you open your home and share your life to help shepherds find new families? You provide the love, and we will take care of everything else. Saying "yes" today truly saves a life. Fill out the form at https://www.shepheroes.org/foster-form, and we will contact you soon. Thank you for considering it.