Joy’s 4th birthday!
For those of you who have followed me on my blog http://www.baileysjournal.com, you know that I am huge lover of Border Collies and it was Bailey that helped me find Joy. No question. There are so many things I think about when I am walking with Joy especially because she always seems to be ahead of me! I know, I know…I don’t want a training lesson and neither does Joy. The one thing that always reminds me of Joy’s terrible situation when she was in an Amish puppy miss is her docked tail. I actually LOVE her little wigglebutt tail which is always wagging. I was told that mills do this “so the tail is not in the way for breeding.” How sick is that? Border Collies happen to have these amazing fan tails and hers was docked to make life convenient for some Amish asshole.
So it is a constant reminder to me about her awful start to life, but I am quickly grounded by her life now and how amazing it is and how she gets to be so spoiled and loved to the nth degree. And when we are walking in Buhl Park, one of the most amazing places on earth, I think about puppy mills and the horror dogs go through. I think about breeders. I am not saying some breeders do not have good intentions, but I, and many people, think that right now on this planet there are enough dogs that need homes without breeding more. My Joy is a purebred Border Collie. The Amish know these are working dogs and they farm and Borders love farms. But I happen to live fairly close to some Amish areas here in Pennsylvania and I can can tell you that most animals on those farms are NOT living great lives.
Joy got so lucky when that Amish mill was busted and thus Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue was called in to help. Joy was among many dogs that were rescued that cold night. They stole her puppies before they were even weaned and then dumped her off because she would not let them breed her again. I know my Joy. One day at Buhl Park a lady had come out of her car suddenly and Joy saw her and being as protective over me as she so fiercely is, she growled so loud the lady screamed! Later we saw her walking and she told me Joy sounded like a grizzly bear! Funny!
Joy is also small by Border Collie standards. She is petite and beautiful. But oh, is she mighty. She still has fears which we work on daily even after two years. I must kiss her hundreds of times a day. She loves that I work at home and can be with her and our cat, Safari all the time. Her tail will never be like it should but it is exactly what is and I adore her. She is my beautiful daughter and for that I am grateful.
Joy's Tale 