Sloppy Joe
We were told about Joe before we even met him. Found as a stray, covered in lumps and bad skin, and wildly depressed in the shelter. He wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t take meds, didn’t want to leave his kennel, and the staff said they would just clean around him while he laid on his cot not moving. If I am being totally honest, when we did meet Joe the first thing I said was, “I think there is something wrong with this dog.” Based on his condition, age, and mental decline, he didn’t have much longer for someone to take a chance on him, so we did.
In true Swampie fashion, Sloppy Joe fooled us in the best way, lighting up almost instantly with the shelter in the rearview mirror. Joe’s personality came out in full force. He was goofy, loved to play with other dogs, loved his ball, and would paw at you for attention. Not only was he the happiest senior dog, but all of his health issues were correctable, and other than some arthritis, Joe was in perfect health.
The stars aligned when Joe’s mom found him, but she lived out of state, and we didn’t think we could make that work. But Joe’s mom continued to follow along with Joe’s story checking in periodically, and by the time Joe was all clear medically we knew we had to find a way to get Joe to his perfect forever home. A road trip later, and Joe is now living out his retirement in a way we didn’t know possible when we first met him. He goes on long adventure walks that end with cozy cuddles with mom, and he looks adorable in all his rainy cold weather clothes for his life up north.
Happy forever Joe. You’re a true testament to the resilience of a senior shelter dog, and a Swampie at that.
Adopted November 2025
