An eight-year-old Labrador retriever, dubbed Joy by Miami Dade Animal Services, was found as a stray on Christmas Day. He was described as barely able to use his back legs and was brought to the shelter on a cart.
Upon examination, Joy presented as aged with possible arthritis and having ocular changes ( cataracts). When observed on all four feet, he was unstable and demonstrated weakness in his rear legs.
He also suffer from severe dental calculus and swelling in his gums. He is overweight, heartworm positive and needs to be examined by a veterinarian to address his physical needs.
The shelter gave him a deadline of December 30 – hopefully waiting for his family to reclaim him, but overcrowding at the shelter over the holiday period pushed his euthanasia date to December 28 if not claimed or rescue.
Name: JOY #A2750361
Gender: Male
Breed: Labrador Retriever mix
Animal type: Dog
Age: 8 years old
Brought to the shelter: 2025.12.25
Located at: Miami-Dade Animal Services
Sadly, Joy had encountered a death sentence, and in order to spare his life, he needed to be rescued before the announced deadline. The shelter agreed to allow the dog to be released before his stray hold was over. Pet lovers and rescue advocates wanted Joy’s life to be spared and shared the dog’s plight on social media.
Many thanks to Salty Dog Rescue for stepping up to rescue Joy.
Check this out – it will make your heart smile!
He is already so loved. Joy was 15 min from his deadline when we got him. Some of his records are showing hit by a car, some are showing arthritis.
We are not sure what is wrong with him, but we are going to do our best to save him. He deserves a chance, and we will give it to him.
The rescue hopes to collect donations towards Joy’s treatment. They are looking at a minimum of $1,000 for bloodwork, X rays, et al to start his road to recovery.
Anyone interested in fostering him long term, please apply at www.mysaltydog.com!
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
