Pit Bull Terrier, Greyhound [Mix]

UPDATE II: Joy has put on 10 pounds since she came to stay with us. She is much more lively and would chase her ball for hours. She doesn't "inhale" her food anymore and actually leaves some in her bowl now that she knows she will be getting fed on a regular basis. While she is still thin - it is not as horrid to look at as before. Joy is on the road to becoming a normal and well adjusted pup.

UPDATE: This story gets sadder by the day. I had Joy outside with me tonight and while she was investigating the yard she spied an old, ratty tennis ball that my spoiled guys turn their nose up at. She ran it over to me, gently placing it at my feet and kept nudging it closer & closer. When I finally picked it up she danced with glee and I realized she wanted to play. I threw the ball, she bounded after it and brought it back to me with a look of sheer bliss on her face. We proceeded to play 'fetch' for about 20 minutes and we would have continued but I didn't want her to expend any more energy (we must save calories at this point). Joy was obviously a loved pet in someone's home. I wish she could talk and tell us how she and her family ended up in such dire conditions. Even Max, the dad was taught to "smile" on command. How these friendly and well trained (housebroken) pups ended up looking like this is a mystery to us all.

When it rains it pours as the saying goes. When our little Miracle was found in a RubberMaid container on the side of the road, the people told us there were two other dogs running loose in the same area. They told us they weren't in as bad shape but boy were they wrong. Joy (pictured here) & Max (who has since been adopted) were in even worse condition than our Miracle. It is obvious that they are the parents but didn't fare any better in the dinner department. The condition of these two is the most horrific I have ever seen. Thankfully they were dumped when they were because they would not have lasted another week out on the streets like that.

Joy was taken to the Vet tonight, along with her daughter. They had lots of tests and lots of attention from the staff. While they are in relatively good condition in spite of their cruel abuse, they will need several more visits to make sure they are on the road to recovery. Joy does have an abscess on her face that we have to clear up. She is the most timid of the family and will need a quiet household where she will be treated like a queen. Joy seems to be housebroken and behaves quite well. Her spirit is a bit broken but she will bounce back in no time once she gets some food and lots of TLC in her foster home. She will not be ready for adoption till at least mid September - hopefully by then she will be strong enough to be spayed so she never goes thru something like this again. She is not yet ready for her vaccines so we will wait a bit on those. See, Animal Cops has nothing on us - we see it here right in our own backyard as well.

Please check out Max, the daddy Boxer boy on Companion Critters of Clark, NJ website. He is a real character and even smiles on command!

Click here for more pictures.