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In
Loving Memory... JOEY |
On
a bitterly cold New Year's Eve in 1996, an aging cocker spaniel
aimlessly wandered the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts,
searching for a familiar landmark, a friendly face. He had been
abandoned by his heartless owners and forced to fend for
himself. Freezing cold and starving, the little black cocker was
essentially left to die a slow and painful death.
But thankfully, the kindness of strangers prevailed. He had the
good fortune to seek shelter at the home of a Good Samaritan who
took in the frightened but trusting cocker, dismayed to find no
collar or identification - a sure sign of a dump and run. She
noticed the odd way he walked; to her horror, she discovered
why. An oozing orange-sized lump was growing on his underbelly.
Other signs of neglect were also apparent. How long had he been
suffering like this?
This
cocker angel contacted CSRNE, who took over the care of this
sweet senior. We named him Joey, and from this point on, his
world was filled with hope and promise. His tumor was removed
but, as feared, it was diagnosed as malignant. Because of the
tumor's enormous size, the prognosis for complete recovery was
doubtful. As with all cancers, the sooner the treatment, the
better, and judging from its size, this tumor had been festering
for a long, long time.
It
is impossible to compare Joey's present environment with that of
his previous one. He is now an active, happy boy who loves
playing with his toys and his devoted foster mom's other dogs.
But, needless to say, his days have been cut short because of
the rapidly spreading cancer, caught too late to treat
effectively.
Hard to
believe but Joey was actually one of the "lucky" ones. He was
taken in by a compassionate person and found his way into the
safety net of CSRNE. He now is being nurtured in a loving home
which will be his last. His ordeals of the past will be replaced
by the love and devotion of his wonderful new family, and he
will spend his last moments in the arms of someone who loves
him. Doesn't every dog deserve this much?
When
Joey's story was first published in the CSRNE newsletter, many
kind and generous members sent donations to help with Joey's
past and present medical expenses. Therefore in honor of this
brave little cocker, we have established the Joey Fund, proceeds
of which will be earmarked specifically for cockers with
extraordinary medical needs.
Update: July 1, 2000
We knew
this day would come, the day we would learn that Joey finally
succumbed to the cancer he had for so long successfully beaten.
Since his rescue in January 1997, Joey had some setbacks but he
always bounced back, resumed eating everything in sight, and
thoroughly enjoyed life with his devoted foster mom and canine
buddies.
Joey
was a survivor. We hoped that he was the cocker with nine lives
and that he would live well into the new millennium. Now this
most precious of cockers was gone, this dog who gave his name to
CSRNE's Joey Fund.
Joey's
legacy is simply wonderful. Close to 100 cockers with serious
medical problems have been successfully treated and adopted
since the Joey Fund was established in 1997. Treatments for
kidney disease, bladder stones, heartworm disease, cataracts,
and severe skin infections have been successfully performed.
Tumors have been removed, broken bones have been set, ablations
have eased chronic ear pain, and one cocker even had open-heart
surgery.
Through
these cockers, Joey's legacy lives on. And his spirit lives on
in those who rescued, nurtured and loved him.
