One look at Josephine tells a complicated story of both love and neglect.
As a senior dog, she had been cared for in order to reach 10 years old, had maybe even been someone’s beloved pet. However, much happened between then and when she reached our doors as a stray.
Severe dental disease and eyes cloudy with corneal scarring told us it’s been a while since she had seen a vet. Chronic skin infections left her dark fur so sparse you could see the red, wrinkled skin underneath. The thickened and discolored skin on her legs indicated a cycle of scratching and scarring.
While somebody had loved her, it had been a long time since she received the care she desperately needed.
In cases as extreme as this there is only one course of action: fostering. And the choice of foster was obvious. Nancy is a long-time foster who specializes in care for small and senior dogs with complicated health situations.
Animals have much higher rates of healing when they are in a home. In our shelter, all Josephine had the energy to do was sleep. But with Nancy, she trundled curiously around the house, tail wagging happily, ears flapping with each toddling step.
“She loves to go on long, slow walks—multiple hours, even on those tiny, wrinkly feet!” they said.
Josephine received extensive care: special diets, medicated baths, topical therapies, antibiotics, antifungal medications, omega-3 supplementation, and regular veterinary monitoring. All of this, along with TLC from her dedicated foster, helped Josephine thrive – but none of it would happen without you.
With your help, we can make sure every animal who needs us receives top notch medical care, has a comfortable foster home and gets a second chance at life.
Josephine’s story was a part of our 2026 September Match campaign. You can read more stories from the campaign, among others, in our Stories tag! And of course, you can always be a part of the mission and donate to support stories like these.
