Rescuing Sugar Joe

Isn't he the cutest? It will soon be a year since we adopted Kolby from the 11th Hour Rescue and brought him home to join our family in August of 2009.

We were on our way to LensCrafters to pick up my new glasses when I noticed a "Dog Adoption Today" sign in front of PetSmart. "Let's go take a look" I pleaded with Rob. Normally, there would be no hesitation, but just 2 weeks prior we had returned an 8-month old Springer Spaniel puppy we adopted the previous March because, unfortunately, she had aggression issues and came very close to killing our cat Luca. Sooooo, do we try again so soon? There were many dogs vying for human attention and putting on their best "please adopt me now" performance. Rob spotted Kolby as he was the only dog not barking. He was shy and somewhat timid with very unique markings. The tag said "Sugar Joe"; Australian Shepherd mix. We liked him a lot, despite the huge mat of hair that took over his entire back and a "doggy" smell that was overbearing. Papers signed, leash, collar and other necessities paid for and off we went. We drove all the way home with all windows down and our heads hanging out so we could breathe.

The first thing I did when we got home was bathe him and cut off that rug that used to be his fur (outside on the deck of course). We weren't thrilled with the name Sugar Joe, and 5 days later came up with Kolby, as in cheese. Kolby was one of 200 dogs that were rescued from shelters in the south that were on the euthanasia list. His papers were generated in Georgia, so we can only assume that's where his prior home was. He has turned out to be the best companion anyone could ever ask for. He minds well, has a very sweet disposition, gets along great with other dogs and even cats (thank goodness!), rarely barks and obeys commands. Everyone loves him. He continually receives praise from others, and everyone remarks on his coloring. We love our baby boy to pieces. He's the best! Earlier this year his photo and bio was published in the local newspaper (see below). Kolby turns 3 on June 30th, and you can bet he'll be spoiled even more that day!