Big Joe arrived at the shelter in April of 2016. He came from a reservation, and very quickly became the favorite dog of all the employees. Joe, like most St. Bernards, was a gentle giant. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "Giant," as he was immensely underweight for his breed. On average, St. Bernards should be a minimum of 130 lbs, Joe was only 70! He was also just over 7 years old, so he didn't have too much muscle either. He was very laid back, but also reserved. It took him a few weeks to finally warm up to the people taking care of him. He was able to get along well with any and every dog he interacted with, which gave him the nickname "Grandpa Joe" of all the other shelter dogs.

   However, this success story for Joe doesn't really take place in April, as he was adopted about 2 months after he arrived. Rather, this story is more focused on after he came back. Joe left in June, and returned early August of that same year. His owners tried to work with him as much as they could, but Joe just had a blood lust for their chickens! He couldn't stop killing all of their chickens, and chasing off their cats and other small farm animals.

   As the months went on, person after person called in saying they were interested in Joe, but after visiting him they would never follow through, saying he "wasn't sociable enough" and "they couldn't connect with him." They were also turned off by the fact he was already 7 years old and partially deaf. Joe had a very hard time connecting with anyone, as he had now been given up twice, and he was becoming VERY depressed. Over time, Joe began to feel much more comfortable in the shelter. So much that when volunteers would try to take him for a walk, he wouldn't want to go more than a few feet away from the building or play yard. While being comfortable may sound like a good thing, we never want our animals to get so comfortable to the point they prefer this lifestyle over actually being in a true home. It seemed like nobody was going to be willing to take Joe home.

   Joe finally found his perfect match in late December. An older couple who had a Great Pyrenees (Another very large breed) the same age as Joe, and a country lake home fell in love with him. They understood that he wouldn't connect with them right away, and it would take time. We all couldn't be more thankful to this couple for finally giving Joe a happy home. He was adopted on December 24th, Christmas Eve. It was truly a Christmas miracle!

   Joe visited the shelter in May of 2017, nearly half a year after he was adopted, and he looks great! He's still playful at 8 years old, has regained muscle, and even gets along with the cat! When Joe left in December he had gotten up to just over 90 lbs, and is now nearly 150 lbs! The first picture is Joe in September of 2016, compared to the 2nd picture taken the day he visited in May. Just look how much of a happier and healthier glow he has! Such a handsome boy!