Euthanize or Adopt Foster Dog-Need $ for Training

Joey's an amazing dog who we've fostered since January '07. We've been given the option to either have him euthanized or adopt him. There was no way we were going to have him put down without giving him a chance so we officially adopted him on Tuesday. The only way we could bring him back into our home though was to have him spend time with a behaviorist because he does have some issues with dominance we don't know how to handle. He has been getting progressively more aggressive and finally bit me and went after our other dog a couple weeks ago so we need some serious help. Yesterday we took him to stay with behaviorist Angie Woods, the Atlanta Dog Whisperer of U.S. Canine for a couple of weeks. The fee is $500. We rescued Joey before he was in the foster program (he's actually the reason we decided to start fostering) and we gladly paid for his heart worm treatment along with all his other shots, medicine for his skin, anything it took to get him healthy. We've always taken in strays and never thought twice about doing what it took to restore their health regardless of price but this time, it's going to be rough and we could really use some help.


Joey's Story...

My husband and I rescued Joey in January '07 just before we began fostering dogs through Cherokee County Humane Society. He's a tough little guy who's been through a lot but still is incredibly sweet and loving. He's 2-1/2 yrs old and we believe is a Basenji/Shepherd mix. We found him on the side of the road and met his owners who gladly gave him up to us, after showing us how they teased him with food. He was malnourished, had heart worm disease, mites, severe skin problems, fleas, tapeworms, the list goes on. We spent several weeks restoring his physical health and he was eventually admitted into the foster program and has been with us ever since. Understandably, he has some aggression issues and bit me last week. All his blood work from the vet came back normal and he's been a complete gentleman since he's been there (10 days total) with no signs of aggression. But because of the severity of the bite, we were told he would no longer be able to be part of the foster program and were given the option to adopt him or have him put down. Joey is an amazing dog and my husband and I are dedicated to helping him live a peaceful, happy life. We just need a little help with this bump in the road.

Thanks so much for your support.
Diane Warren