Editor’s Note:  The Mountain News received the following note from the Animal Control of Eatonville group (ACE).  They are looking for a home for a dog that has been rescued.  Below is their charming story of “Jo-Jo.”

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Thursday, September 19, in the evening, a woman sees a man toss a dog out of his black pickup truck on a rural south Pierce County Highway, and speed off, the dog running to catch up. The woman posts on the Facebook page “Eatonville Virtual Yard Sale,” about the despicable act she witnessed. Others begin posting and trying to spot the dog.

      The dog spends three days along the highway, running down the road to interact with a couple of farm dogs a few blocks north, then back again to a collapsing shed when the rains came, and at night. (She’s seen here on day three, contemplating her options as rescuers approach.) Except for the dogs she visited, she would not let anyone come near her. She was waiting for her caretaker.

      Her abandonment was reported to authorities. Neighbors were asked to help monitor her. A cage trap was set up on Sunday, the 22^nd. Joe, one of the concerned Good Sams, came out to inspect the trap on the first shift, about two hours later. He stopped for some JoJo’s at the local deli on the way. The dog was near the trap when he arrived, but wary. Joe talked with her, then threw a few JoJo’s into the trap and headed the 50 yards or so back down to the highway. He waited, and listened. Sure enough, not ten minutes later the dog suddenly barked in alarm. She was caught, and now safe from the 50 mile-per-hour highway traffic.

      From then on she has been referred to as JoJo. An anonymous source provided a kennel for her at an industrial location while she was assessed and rehabbed from the PTS-like symptoms she exhibited. She had no ID. She was scanned and did not have a microchip.

      After just a few days of good food, “conversation,” and trust-building, she began to regain some composure. Her tail slowly began to rise, then to wag. Her eyes softened and relaxed. She oozed affection, giving kisses.

      Every day she improves. She has shown no aggression whatsoever. She does not get protective about her freshly-filled food bowl, even though she is eager to eat.  She loves to walk, and is a great walker. She’s interested in everything – a dog barking, a cat sitting nearby, people walking – then is content to calmly turn and continue the walk. She does silly dog things like rubbing her side along a wall, turning around and going the other way, and rolling on her back with legs flailing.

      JoJo is ready for the right home. Much more time in the kennel won’t be good for her. But I will first set some ground rules for her sake. She must have a devoted human, someone who will eagerly get to know her, and what makes her happy. And she must be totally secure for whatever period of time it takes (one month, three months…) for her to feel really bonded with someone again. That means a secure fence, or a secure collar and leash whenever she goes outside. Spaying (I may be able to find help for that), micro-chipping and licensing. Obedience school would be good, but anyone knowledgeable in humane dog training would see great responses from her. She will really benefit from an active social life.

       The payoff for her new foster parent will be a dog that has the potential to do just about anything. She’s young, striking to look at, healthy, athletic, and eager to learn. I’ll be checking for emails with questions or foster/adoption offers regarding JoJo. Thanks for reading this. Check out the attached photos and the above-mentioned FB page for the posts started by Cindy K.

      Help us spin this unfortunate experience for JoJo into a happy ending!

Bob

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