CSRNE JOEY FUND
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.
CSRNE, Inc. PO Box 162