Hi there everyone, meet Beautiful Joe!

Beautiful Joe is an emergency rescue that I took in, as he needed immediate placement and every place I checked was full.

After having him for 24 hours I decided to name him Beautiful Joe after my favorite childhood book. (I shared the picture so you can see the side by side comparison!)

He was SO skinny, you could see all of his ribs and his spine. He came from a terrible neglect situation, chained up outside. He had to not only endure the elements but also got bitten up by mosquitoes and fleas.

His first night with me, he got flea drops on, so he finally quit scratching after a couple of days, and his coat is starting to look better as the little bald patches are starting to come back with hair.

Also, he is starting to fill out a little bit; you don't see so much of his ribs and his spine anymore.

But he still needs a veterinary exam, all of his vaccinations, and a heartworm test and possibly subsequent heartworm treatment, given that he was outside for so long getting bitten by mosquitoes.

He also needs to be checked for GI parasites and a basic blood workup to make sure there are no other issues going on.

In addition to the vet bills, there is also the cost of extra dog food and supplies. I am already providing care for four other dogs and seven cats, in addition to doing community outreach to help other animals whose owners might be struggling with affording food and supplies. I have tried to foot the bill for most of this stuff on my own, but things have gotten more expensive, and money has gotten tight, and the bottom line is that I need help!

I do absolutely everything I can for every animal in need that I come across. Some folks are quick to suggest just bringing them to a shelter and letting them deal with it, but what many people do not realize is that the shelters are filled to the brim, and they themselves are struggling and most of the time do not have space.

That is where people like me come in. I try to bridge that gap by taking in some of those animals in need. I try to give them a safe place where they can become healthy and know what it's like to feel loved (sometimes for the first time ever) until they can find a proper home, thereby not putting any more burden on the already overflowing animal shelters.

I am humbly asking for those of you who love animals to PLEASE make a donation, no matter how big or small, so that I may continue providing Beautiful Joe and the other animals under my care with a safe place to call home and to never again know what it feels like to be hungry or unloved, and so that I can also provide them with much-needed veterinary care as well.

Please help me to continue helping them!

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