Meet Josie (ID6137)

JOSIE IS SPECIAL NEEDS. PLEASE READ HER ENTIRE BIO BEFORE APPLYING. Josie (aka Josie Bean) was found as a stray and taken to a shelter in MD. The shelter noted that she had issues and thought she had epilepsy. Once in Rescue’s care and with a wonderful benefactor, we began testing to see if we could ascertain the exact reasons for Josie being the way she is. First stop was an eye exam because of her apparent vision issues. She is blind in her right eye but her left is ok. Next was her unsteady gait, spinning and falling over. After extensive bloodwork, ultrasound, and MRI, it was determined that Josie has severe hydrocephalus. Because her head is not domed, that was never considered as the issue until MRI. Her case is so severe, that she is not a surgical candidate. For Josie, she has so much fluid in her cranial cavity that her brain did not fully form. She has more fluid than brain matter. So Josie is severely mentally disabled. This did not present until she was a bit older, and once it was discovered she would not be a good breeding dog, she was dumped to fend for herself. And she did! Against all odds, she survived alone and was found by animal control. Now, about Josie’s personality… which she has plenty! She is a very petite girl. Very sweet, but shy at first. It takes her a while to warm up, but if you have food, that timeline is greatly decreased! Her favorite time of day is feeding time! She loves any kind of snack. After friendship is established, routine is everything for Josie. Keeping to a routine helps her feel confident and safe. Josie is UTD on shots, housetrained (for the most part) HW neg, walks ok on lead, she is slow and likes to smell everything. We were waiting for her official diagnosis before being spayed and microchipped so that will need to be done before adoption. Josie has crate anxiety and while she will go in, she panics if left too long. She can do short stints. For work days, we put her in our bathroom. As for mobility, she is slow to go down stairs and often falls (ok coming up). She doesn’t see well in the twilight/dark and won’t go out unless you are with her. Josie ideal home would have no stairs going into the backyard or to sleeping areas. One level only. She slips and falls a lot so carpeted areas would be a great help to her mobility. She does not need a huge fenced area, but she will not go potty on lead so she needs some kind of fence. Her quirky personality and drunk walk will melt your heart in minutes. She is silly and happy and gives kisses. She does not like to be hugged, but will come to you and bury her face in your lap for attention. She tries to play with the other dogs, but is often run over or knocked down. But she keeps trying, she chases them in the yard. She would definitely need another dog in the her forever home for companionship. When she decides its time for bed, she will put herself in her bed and is out until the next morning. She sleeps soundly on her bed in our bedroom. Josie does not require a lot of exercise, if any really, so she would be a good option for someone who wants a younger dog but can’t give them the exercise neurotypical RRs need. Her size is also desirable…she is under 60 lbs. Despite her issues, Josie is a lovely little girl and would make a wonderful companion. She has brought a lot of joy to us while fostering. DOB approx 2/20/22. Josie is being fostered in the Raleigh, NC area.