‘OLD DOG OF THE WEEK’ FEATURES NEW PHOTOS AND A FRESH WRITE-UP FOR AN OVERLOOKED OLDIE THAT HAS BEEN ON OUR WEBSITE FOR A WHILE BUT IS STILL WAITING FOR A NEW HOME.
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Joey is an adorable three-legged, 8-year-old French Bulldog who came into rescue due to his owner’s housing situation. He’s in an Oldies Club foster home in north-west Leicestershire, near the Derbyshire border. He was briefly rehomed, but didn’t get along with the resident female dog, so is back at his foster home, waiting for a lovely retirement home.
Summary: Joey is a happy-go-lucky charmer who takes almost everything in his 3 legged stride. He doesn’t like cats and needs to be an only dog at home. Resident teenagers should be fine for him but not very young children. He wants a retirement home where he usually has human company, has an hour of walkies a day, someone to watch what he eats (because he’ll try to wallop down anything!) and lots of toys, lap time and fusses.
Settled quickly in foster: Joey, also known as “Big Joe”, settled at his foster home within one day! He’s a confident dog and once he knew where the garden was, who would be feeding him and that he was allowed on the sofa, he was right at home.
Can be left sometimes: Joey does love being with someone, preferably on their lap, so he does need a home where there is usually someone around. When you do need to go out without him, he should just settle down and snooze until you’re home. His foster carer has left him for 3 hours and watched him on a camera having a lovely sleep. He wouldn’t want this to be a daily occurrence though because he does need plenty of people time.
Needs to be the only dog at home: Joey gets on OK with other dogs when out and about and, as you can see, he’s fine with the two resident Sighthounds in his foster home. However, this blissful state or affairs is the exception not the rule and Joey has a history of not getting on with other dogs in his home (both male and female, even after nice introductions). As he’s already had both a foster home and an adoption fall through because he took against the resident dogs, it’s now thought he should be the only dog in his retirement home. That way, he can be assured that all toys, food and attention are rightfully his.
Needs a cat-free home: Joey doesn’t seem to like the cats next door and his foster carer thinks he would chase them if given the opportunity.
Could live with teenagers: We were told that Joey used to live with a teenager and was happy. There are no children at his foster home but we think he should be OK to live with sensible teenagers.
Great on walks: Joey’s missing leg does not hold him back on walks at all. He walks pretty well on the lead and has good recall when off lead in enclosed spaces. He does have a tendency to eat things he shouldn’t, so he needs to be watched. He ate some vegetables which were growing in the garden when his foster carer wasn’t looking, and would eat cat poo if he had a chance. There are cats living next door so daily vigilance in the garden is needed! Joey munched a whole cucumber in seconds so he doesn’t need long to steal something he shouldn’t and guzzle it. For walks, he goes once or twice a day and needs about an hour of exercise each day.
Great in the car: Joey is very good in the car and he has taken the bus a few times too. He especially likes going to the pub as he’s sure to get lots of attention.
Joey’s favourite pastimes: Eating, walking, sleeping and hugs.
Joey’s dislikes: Cats.
Joey’s ideal home: He would love a home where he can have loads of fuss and sofa snuggles. He is quite a lapdog and would rather sit on you than near you. He doesn’t bother himself with personal space and he wants to be around people as much as possible. Daily walks and tasty food are his favourite things. He’s pretty easy to please. He needs to be your only dog.
Health notes: Joey is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea treated. Joey lost his leg when he was younger and this really doesn’t impact him very much at all. He has a poultry allergy, so eats a mainly fish-based diet. As long as he isn’t stealing anybody’s food this is easy enough to manage by just avoiding any poultry.
More from Joey’s foster carer: “Joey is really just a cheerful guy. He loves being out and about, whether on walks or trips to the pub and he is confident out in the world. Nothing seems to scare him or worry him. He loves all the attention he gets and I’d describe him as a bit of a charmer. He even seemed to enjoy visits to the vets and the fuss he would get there. He loves his food, which makes training easy. That said, he can be a bit of a thief so I wouldn’t leave food out and leave the room. Although he is missing a leg, he is energetic and excitable. He enjoys the company of the other dogs here and tends to follow them around. Most of all, he loves people and curling up on the sofa for a good fuss. He sleeps well, either in his bed or downstairs on the sofa and is house trained. He is pretty easy going and I think he will make the perfect pet for someone.”
If you would like to offer Joey a permanent home, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact the Oldies Club rehoming team as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk for an application form.
Or phone 0844 586 8656, leaving a message including your email address, and we’ll email an application form.
Joey can be rehomed anywhere on the UK mainland – the closer to his foster home the better – subject to a satisfactory home visit. Note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to collect him.
If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor one of the special oldies we are caring for that, due to health problems, are unlikely to be offered a permanent home.