I volunteer at an animal shelter. A senior dog is inspiring me to embrace resiliency.
Courtesy of the author
- I regularly walk an 11-year-old pitbull mix at the animal shelter I volunteer.
- Joey impresses everyone with his commitment to being happy all the time.
- He has helped so much in my own recovery from eating disorders.
It only takes one look at senior dog Joey's smiling face to wonder why he's spent the last seven months at a shelter.
When I go to see Joey during my dog walking shifts at the Atlanta Humane Society, he's often already the center of attention. He likes to sit with another volunteer in the shelter lobby, where he greets everyone who walks by and gives love to anyone who needs it.
He's been through a lot
Joey's ability to love is inspiring given all he's been through. An 11-year-old pit mix, he has spent plenty of time in the shelter — he also lived there for a few months in 2021 before being adopted that October. About 10 months later, he was returned – with health issues to address.
The team quickly noticed that Joey had developed weakness in his back legs, making it difficult to support himself. While his exact diagnosis hasn't been confirmed, Morgan Denz, veterinarian at the Atlanta Humane Society, says that while Joey's not in any pain, he'll likely require wheelchair care for the rest of his life.
But this hasn't stopped Joey. He now uses a custom-fit wheelchair to play outside and go for walks with staff and volunteers. Joey also attends physical therapy, where he works out on an underwater treadmill and has even done electro-acupuncture and laser therapy, which Denz says have helped somewhat with function, but especially with mental stimulation.
"Joey is a very happy and loving dog," Denz says. "He would make a great companion."
He's helped me in my recovery
Not only is Joey one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met, he's also one of the most resilient – and has inspired me in my own recovery. While all shelter dogs share incredible strength, Joey, in particular, impresses me with his commitment to being happy no matter what.
One of his favorite things? Car rides.
"When I take him to the park, sometimes he just wants to get back in the car because he just loves going for a ride," says volunteer Barbara Gillman, who often takes Joey out for adventures, including going to a nearby stable where he likes to see horses and cows.
Joey has also gone on adventures with the shelter's animal behavior and training manager Kate Lee to the Georgia Aquarium, where he visited beluga whales and checked out the coral reef. And on another trip, he zoomed around in his wheelchair at an Atlanta dog park, where he enjoyed the whole place to himself.
But he also likes to snuggle up at home and spend time with those he loves.
"He's the type of dog who's just happy to sit on the couch and smile at you," Gillman said.
Despite the fact that he's not a small dog, Joey has no problem crawling onto his people and making himself right at home.
"My favorite thing about Joey is his loving nature – he will lean in as if he's trying to give a hug," Lee said. "Sometimes, he even tries to be a lap dog."
As a longer-term resident at the shelter, Joey has lots of friends, from the staff to the volunteers to visitors who swing by to see him – and he loves every single one. It's his persistence in loving others that makes Joey stand out so much to me. To have endured so much, yet still, be so able to love.