When rescuer Jeanette DeMars of the Corgi Connection of Kansas wrote to tell me about Joel, one of her more memorable success stories, I should have known I was in for something good. Really good. After all, Jeanette is the person who facilitated the rescue and adoption of the one and only Benny Corgipants, V.I.P. in Corgi Nation and Editor’s Choice in the 2011 Daily Corgi Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest!
Jeanette received Joel from a shelter in Missouri, where he had arrived as a stray with fleas and tapeworms. “The shelter wouldn’t test him for heartworms” she writes, “so of course when he arrived I had him tested and yes — you guessed it — he tested positive. Additional tests confirmed it.”
“With the help of a wonderful foster, we got Joel cleaned up and rid of the tapeworms, then started the heartworm treatment. Thanks to CorgiAid we were able to start Joel on the treatment immediately. We estimated his age at about two years, so keeping him relatively calm while undergoing the treatment was a bit of a challenge to say the least. Throughout the entire ordeal Joel remained the sweetest, most easygoing boy you could imagine. He learned how to live in a home, walk on a leash and behave like a little gentleman.”
“I kept him with my pack the last two weeks before he was adopted, and if I had kept him any longer, he would have been dog #6! There was a lot of interest in Joel. It was a difficult decision to make as to where he should be placed, but in the end a young couple has given him a wonderful home.”
“Being my first heartworm case in rescue, Joel taught me a lot about the resilience of dogs. It also re-affirmed my commitment to rescue work.”
Joel’s adoptive Mom Michlynn R. tells the rest of Joel’s tale:
“I fell in love with Joel’s pictures on the Corgi Connection of Kansas site in June, 2010. The next day I called Jeanette and sent in my application. Shortly afterwards, my husband Austin and I took Joel for a weekend. We took walks every morning and evening and went shopping at Petco. Everywhere we went we got compliments on how cute Joel was. We fell in love, and giving him back at the end of the weekend was hard.
Austin and I officially adopted Joel on July 2, 2010. We took him home to my parents’ farm in Mullinville, Kansas. On his first visit to Grandpa and Grandma’s, he received instant love. Joel enjoyed being on the farm and taking in all the smells, but wasn’t too fond of the natives (calves and horses) who live there.
On our way back home, we stopped by mother-in-law’s workplace to bring her lunch and show her our new baby. Later that day, the rest of the family met Joel and fell in love. Austin’s younger brother wanted to keep him and the cats attacked our new dog with their continuous stares.
Joel traveled to his first horse show on July 15, 2010 in Salina, Kansas, where he was introduced to Ted, my black Quarter horse. Joel was not impressed, but Ted was interested in the new addition to the family.
On good weather days, we take Joel to the Fairmont Dog Park. He loves playing with the other dogs and being the police when dogs start to get too rowdy. He’ll also show off his herding skills when the dogs start chasing each other. It is a joy to watch him.
During our honeymoon in August, my parents watched Joel for a week. He enjoyed helping Grandma with the feeding of the calves and horses. One morning he woke her with his snoring. She thought the noise was Grandpa and hit his side of the bed, but there was nothing there. When she looked down on the floor, there was Joel — sound asleep and snoring.
Joel is a happily spoiled puppy. He enjoys any sort of treat you give him and he’ll even play with it by tossing it in the air a few times before eating it. He’s not too fond of toys since he’s never learned to play like a puppy, but will play with them occasionally. His favorite things are his twice daily walks and being outside, where he valiantly guards the backyard from squirrels, rabbits, and stray cats. Of course, he does enjoy sunning himself on the porch when the yard is secure.
Joel has been the best addition to our family. We are constantly getting compliments and comments about him. He is very easygoing and laid back. We couldn’t ask for a better puppy!”
Goodnight sweetheart, goodnight!
I just love this story to bits. What a gorgeous , lucky boy Joel is, and what wonderful folks to provide him a Forever Home !
What a wonderful story! Joel sounds a lot like our pal Quigley. We rescued him last year and he has a lot of the same personality traits.
I love happy endings! He is so handsome!
Joel is so handsome. I'm glad he has found a wonderful family to call his own.