Joy's Tale

Rescued. Adopted. Loved.

Tag Archives: puppy mills


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A Tail To Remind Us….

me and my joy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOY 4Joy’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.


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A Dog Mom’s Reflection

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We adopted Joy the day before Mother’s day two years ago on May 12th. Often when I look at her fall asleep at night, I think how happy she was that someone came for her. She kissed us immediately, as though she knew that was her special day when she would have a forever home. It’s the day that all rescue dogs wait for. For Joy, it was not because people were not interested in her. Her Grandma Summers knew Joy had to be with just the right people, as she still held fears from her puppy days, which no puppy should have to endure. Being born into an amish puppy mill was not fun for her and all the pups that her cage was stacked on top of and below.  What puppy wants to be confined to a tiny space no bigger than a chicken crate with no time to run or play. Instead she was peed and pooped on from the cages above and this was her life. A beautiful, purebred Border Collie whose tail was docked for no reason (and has left nerve damage) and then to top it off she is bred to have pups that would be taken from her before they were weaned. She did not even get to be the mother she wanted to be. I often think she thinks of us as her puppies and her intense protectiveness indicates that at times.

Thankfully she was rescued by an amazing woman, Dr. Victoria Summers of Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue, who, because of Joy, we not only added a great dog to our family, but a great friend as well. She is mom to the many dogs she rescues and perhaps her job is the hardest of all. To most of the dogs, she is the temporary mom until they are adopted, but some never leave her care and become true shelter dogs, like Hoss.  We think Hoss decided to stay. He was happy with her as his mom and that was that and perhaps some of the dogs take that stance on purpose.  Joy had a buddy there named Shawn. I feel badly he is still not adopted. He is now six and still waiting and that makes me sad, although he seems pretty happy there.

I feel honored to be Joy and Safari’s Mom. Safari is our gorgeous Orange Tabby boy. Joy might not have been able to be the mom to her pups that she longed to be, but I promised her that I would be the best Dog Mom there is and she knows how much pleasure I get from that. She feels it and loves it everyday. My husband says our fur kids are privileged. He is right. I am ecstatically happy to be able to give a happy life to someone who so deserves it.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the animal moms out there with Love from Joy and me.

Joy, a Name For All Seasons…

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It’s been so long since I have written here mainly because Joy keeps me so busy. It’s only our second Christmas and her name is everywhere I go and I just love that. When her rescue grandma, Dr. Victoria Summers rescued her, she named her Joy. When I first saw her adorable face on Petfinder, her name was only a bonus. When I called about her she told that she had named her Joy because she is one. How could you not fall in love with that idea?

When we wake in the morning, Joy is always scratching even though there is no reason to. She is healthy and eats better food than most people as I often cook for her and she is corn/soy/wheat free. I think she does this out of habit from being born into a horrific Amish puppy mill situation in Ohio. When cages are stacked on top of each other and there are no bottoms, feces and urine must be getting all over the dogs – it sickens me and I do work to help stop this abuse. I tell her every morning that she is clean, safe and I kiss her a thousand times a day. I am so happy I have the ability to share our life with Joy & Safari, our gorgeous Orange Tabby boy.

When I think about the end of the year and all the cats and dogs that need forever homes it makes me so sad but then I think of all who are rescued. We do what we can; I only wish more good, loving and caring people would be helpful and kind toward innocent animals either by adoption or by donation to their local rescue. These are my children. I have had many kids over the years and I would not have had it any other way. I love them all and miss terribly the ones who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Joy stands for love and I stand for her, paw in hand.

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The Princess and the Beach…

At this time of the year in Southwest Florida, the heat can be taxing. If you get up very early though, it’s okay to be out and about, so that is what we did so I could try taking Joy to the beach one more time before we head North. I stopped at a different part of the beach and it was very pretty. The houses were set far from the shore, which made it a lot nicer than  when we stopped the first time. The Atlantic was so warm; well into the 80’s, hot and salty like a good pretzel at a ballgame.

It was breezy that morning, which made for louder than usual wave talking, which Joy was not sure how to interpret. As the waves crashed upon the white, sandy shore she backed up, which is Border Collie specialty anyway. “No thanks,” I think she thought. “Princesses are not supposed to get wet unless they are in the shower.” I am sure that is what she was thinking.  Joy thinks likes a princess and I am glad she does. Her Grandma Summers, who had the high intelligence to rescue her told me that she was a princess before I ever met her. Dr. Summers thinks princesses get a bad rap. “Princess do good,” she has told me, pointing out the marvelous example of Princess Diana. “They are social, hard-working, they help people and are charitable. I think princesses are great,” she said, adding that I too am a princess. Dr. Summers has told me more than once that Joy a nd I were perfect for each other because we are both princess-like. I take it as a compliment. In fact, my dad always told me I was his princess, so I think I was raised to be one anyway and I agree that princesses are do-gooder types and should not be looked down upon.

As a lady stopped d to pet Joy, she marveled at how sweet she was and how pretty her coat and colors are. “She is really beautiful. What a good-looking little girl,” she said, lovingly stroking the top of Joy’s head. Joy loves being paid attention to and loves when people love her. The funny thing about Joy is she knows who is good and who is not immediately! That lady was no problem, someone else might come up to say hello and she suddenly sounds like a big dog that you do not want to pet. Dogs know things and Joy certainly had enough experience with the horrible puppy mill people who treated her unkindly and she has not forgotten. Not yet. She just turned 3 on Mother’s Day so the memories are not foggy. Someday they will be but I think dogs know things and are quite keen on picking out the good from the bad. I think it’s  a beautiful, innate quality they have and Joy is no exception. She is a finely tuned detective of good and evil.

Even though going in the ocean or a pool is not for her, she likes to be on the water in a boat or near the water on a dock, a marina, or a beach. I think she just likes to be with us – close, protective and leading the way, that is what princesses do.


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A Joyful Birthday…

This year on Mother’s Day will be Joy’s 4th birthday. We adopted her on May 12, 2012, the day before Mother’s Day. In a perfect twist of fate, her first year with us, her birthday and Mother’s Day all collide into one happy day.

I have always been amazed at how all creatures come into our lives and just fit right in. Maybe this is not everyone’s experience. but this is how my life has always been. Joy is no exception. She is as beautiful inside as she is outside. Like Bailey, everywhere I take her, people compliment her on how pretty, cute or beautiful she is. She likes when they call her beautiful, because Joy is truly a diva in every sense of the word. I remember her Grandma Summers telling me that she is a dog that expects you to fluff her pillows! She was NOT joking around. Joy loves to have her head on a soft pillow.

As our first year comes to fruition I am happy and proud that we were able to give this wonderful girl a truly happy home. I think this enters my mind daily since adopting her. When I think of all she went through, first being born into a puppy mill, having her babies stolen from her and then thrown into a pound, I am so thankful that Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue was there for her and that we was there for ISBCR, in return. That is what makes rescue work. Good rescue groups finding good homes. The most important aspect of rescue in my opinion, is finding the right family, so the animal is not returned after being adopted.

Border Collies are not for everyone. In fact, they are not for most people. I think you need a special personality to be able to provide the give back of their boundless energy and need for attention. This is not a sit on the couch kind of dog. Today it has not stopped raining. I welcome the time to actually get some work done uninterrupted except for feedings and out in yard pit stops, but then again there is something amiss about not throwing a few balls after lunch for a little while. On rainy days, Joy relishes in a chance to relax I think. She has just lazed around all day which I think she is enjoying. It’s at least giving her extra-working, extra-jumping Border Collie legs a rest!

Joy continues to live up to her name in every aspect of the word.


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A Sheltered Life No More…

Joy, the latest addition to our full and loving life, continues to amaze us with her sweetness and unlimited amount of love and willingness to experience new things. This was certainly a concern for us as we split our time between two states and since she was adopted spent an entire 6 months in Western, Pennsylvania and then she was off on a long road trip adventure to the South. I wondered how she would react. Would she think we are moving from the first forever home she has known? Would she miss it or would she adapt, as my friend Patty says dogs so when they are truly loved, like Joy.

Safari, the cat love of our life, is used to the drill. He has been travelling with us for years and he is a sunshine guy without a doubt. Four day in and so is Joy. She loves it here and I knew one thing for sure. She would love Angel and Zoe, my neighbor Kevin’s and his sister Pat’s dogs. I love their dogs so much and I could not wait for Joy to meet them because I knew she would love them. Angel, a beautiful Golden play so sweetly together. One catches the ball and then gives it to the other, over and over and over. Adorable, if you love dogs like us.

This is Kevin’s golf cart and he lets us use it. Her first ride on it was a few days ago. Today I borrowed it while Kevin was in school for a quick ride, later we all rode on it together before dinner – that will be the next picture.

I do not think a day goes by when I don’t think about Joy’s early life in a horrible puppy mill. Thankfully when she was rescued by Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue, she was loved too, not just rescued. This is an amazing place filled with love, hope and care and as Dr. Summers says, a shelter is not a home; it is a temporary one, but not a real home – but I like to think it was really a great start for Joy. It was akin to a jailbreak,  that puppy mill. Some do not survive, some are tortured mentally for the rest of their lives and some are tough like Joy and determined (Yes, that is THE WAY of a Border Collie) to find their way.

Joy is very young, still a puppy herself. She had just turned 3 in May when we adopted her. She is first getting to experience the world. She now has travelled through 7 states! She went to her first doggy park yesterday and met two new boy friends that she loved, Willy and Sandy, a Westie and Sheltie, respectively. Her future days include many fun activities which I will continue to write about as they transpire.

Joy, you are no longer leading a “sheltered life” you have a piece of the world pie and it’s our privilege to give it to you, with love and kisses, everyday.


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The Ultimate Trust…

You never forget the day you adopt a dog. It’s so exciting, yet you wonder, will she like us? Will she want to leave the rescue home she is in now? Will she look at y ou and say with her eyes and soul, “sure I will go with you.”

It’s only been five months since Joy joined our world and we joined hers. I am so amazed by a dog’s ability to trust even after being harmed by humans in many cases, including hers. Joy was not physically abused, but she was neglected in the horrific Amish Puppy mill in which she was born and her puppies were taken away much too soon, causing her to have some fears, but they are dissipating very quickly because she is surrounded by love. She was lucky to be at Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue (www.indiansummers.org) for a year before we came along. Each day she gets better.  At first sight, she still likes females better than males, except her daddy, of course – she loves the kisses out of him everyday…

If it were not for the many wonderful rescue organizations out there, it would be nearly impossible to have as many dogs, cats and other animals find good homes with the right people. I cannot say enough about people who are on the rescue end in the process of adoption. It takes so much dedication, care and most of all time ,to do right by these furry people with whom we choose to share our lives.

Joy is so grateful for the life she has now. Everyday she learns and see new things that she had not been exposed to before. She is such a puppy and watching a dog or a cat learn is so much fun and there is not a day that goes by that she does not make us laugh and smile.  October 28th marks the day our Bailey crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Her blog, www.baileysjournal.com has happily for me, become an inspiration for many people all over the world.  Bailey promised me that she would find us the perfect girl when the time was right and, as always, Bailey was on target, like a true Border Collie–focused and strong-willed. We even were amazed that her name was Joy. Bailey knew how sad we (especially me) were and she needed to get our Joy back for us, literally and figuratively.

We could not be happier to have been lucky enough to be led toward finding Joy because she lights up a room and truly lives up to her name. Hands or paws, all anyone wants is to love and be loved. Joy, without a doubt, you are.


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 GrandMommy Victoria is the amazing woman who rescued Joy. She lived at Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue for a year before Dr. Vic determined that I was Joy’s mom. She says she knew this from the first message I left on her phone.  She was concerned that Joy was “quirky” as she likes to call her. I would instead call Joy feisty and many have called me the same thing, so perhaps we were a match. She also described Joy as a dog “who is going to expect you to fluff her pillows, literally. She is a real princess.” Without ever meeting me, Dr. Vic thought I was a princess of sorts as well and knew instinctively that I was the right person after having had hundreds of calls about Joy.

There are so many wonderful qualities Joy has and as she cuddles with us intensely, I am always amazed how dogs can go through so much trauma and still wind up on the right side of trust. Joy has so much love to give and she loves that we give her so much attention, time and love right back. Even Safari, her best kitty pal, loved her immediately.

Thankfully, we can help Joy explore a whole new world. She still has a little fear  – she does not like large crowds of people yet, but she is dealing with it and has become so friendly with people while walking at the park. Her favorite activity there is to chase the squirrels and I do MEAN chase them! She is strong and fast and she can smell a squirrel a mile away. I praise her each time she finds one and she loves that.

Dr. Vic named Joy so perfectly. I remember her telling me that she named her that because she literally was a joy. She does live up to her name. She has a joyous soul and her nickname has become Joyous, actually. She is so easy to love because of the intensity of her giving ways. I cannot thank Bailey enough for leading me to www.petfinder.com or Victoria and Kernie for rescuing her and taking such great care of her before we came along. Things have a way of happening that we cannot always explain and sometimes you really don’t need to know why. It just is as it should be.


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Four Months of Kisses….

For the first time in the four months since adopting Joy, I went back to Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue (www.indiansummers.org). I went there to help with a benefit auction for the organization from whence Joy came. Since coming home to live with us, Joy is such a happy girl. She knows she is loved and cared for and in only four months together, I think she has received thousands of kisses.

My husband calls her “his girl,” all the time. She plays with him as he tries to do his stretching exercises each morning. She puts one of her 100, soft, bone-shaped toys gently on his chest as if to say, “well, you are on the floor where I live now, so let’s play!” He loves playing with her and she makes him laugh.

She loves Safari, her brother. I think she has kissed HIM a thousand times since arriving. Safari, a cat who only truly shows love towards me, loves he attention that Joy has showered upon him. They lay next to each other all the time.

I have been lax on this journal of Joy’s tale but not because I have not thought about many things to say. Just before sitting down to write this I was watching a video by the Humane Society about the raiding of a puppy mill in South Carolina. Joy was originally in a puppy mill and when I think about the deplorable conditions that dogs can be born into it sparks a fury inside my brain that ultimately leaves you feeling almost helpless because there is such vast animal abuse in these United States..

I work so hard to share, post and spread the word of animal abuse and I hope that my little help-cog in the wheel will help get laws changed to make animal abusers culpable when they commit horrific crimes, such as operating a puppy mill. To me, every single one should be shut down in every state. Puppy mills should be illegal it’s as simple as that.

I think about how lucky Joy got, from the moment she left the puppy mill to the year she spent at Indian Summers and now in her permanent home, in which princess is the perfect word to describe her style of life. She deserves to be a princess and we are happy to give her the real life that she deserves. The unconditional love from one’s animal companion is the truest of all. I am lucky to have that kind of love with my husband, but I know not everyone, even married people, have that. Bailey found us Joy and I knew that she would find us the girl who belonged with us and she could not have done a better job. Joy is better and so are we for having her in our life.

If you can rescue an animal that needs a home, and you have the financial means as well as time to invest, then you should consider helping out a furry one or two. A life lived is fine, but a life lived with animal companions is far better.