What a joy Joy is!

When GBR caught wind of a neglected pup in the Eugene, Oregon area, they knew they had to act fast. A three-month-old Lab mix by the name of Joy was in serious need of medical attention. Her left eye had become severely infected and needed to be removed immediately. Fortunately for this lovable pup, the surgery went well and she was quickly on her way to recovery, but what she needed in the meantime was a loving foster home where she could rest. Luckily, GBR volunteer Shelly knew just the place.

When GBR contacted Olivia in January 2019, a volunteer who was following Joy's story closely, they knew they had found a good fit for temporary care. Olivia had just brought home another GBR rescue, Poppy, two months earlier in November, in addition to already being a dog mom to other Golden Retrievers, Luke and Paulie, and a Shih Tzu, Artie. A floofy, funny two-year-old pup, Poppy was added to the family to bring some much needed pawsitivi

ty to the home as their red Golden Retriever senior, Paulie, was ailing. Just three weeks after Poppy's adoption and much sooner than expected, Olivia’s family lost Paulie who was tightly bonded with Luke. After Paulie passed away, Luke sank into a deep depression -- missing his buddy who he had spent more than a decade with. While Poppy was a delight, she simply couldn’t help pull Luke out of his sadness.

With a full house, but an even fuller heart, Olivia's family agreed to foster Joy for two weeks until she found her forever family. Then, something unexpected happened. When Joy arrived at her foster home, Luke lit up. He loved Joy and immediately took to her feisty energy -- and so did Poppy. Soon the three were bonded, but Olivia kept her promise to herself and her husband that they were just the foster family.

She brought Joy to GBR meet and greet events to meet potential adopters and created the adoption listing for Joy and sent it over to the GBR team. But soon after, Olivia called GBR back and said that Joy was going to be a certified “foster fail” and she couldn’t imagine her with any other family. Olivia’s husband John agreed, and he finally got the Lab he’d always wanted.

These days, Joy spends her time glued to Olivia’s side or playing with her brothers and sisters. She is smart, active, sweet and very, very hungry (as most Labs are), drooling literal puddles at the sight of food. A Wisdom panel reports Joy as 75% Labrador Retriever and 25% Golden Retriever. Her adoptive parents report her as 100% love. Only having one eye doesn’t bother her in the slightest, though she at times can be a little shy on walks given her limited view. She frequents the veterinary ophthalmologist who monitors her remaining eye,

which has birth defects and requires daily drops to prevent glaucoma. She loves to play in the water and has mastered tricks like opening doors for her humans. Joy is a special dog indeed with a very loving fur-ever home.

NOTE FROM JOY'S FAMILY:

Our adoption story is a bit complex with twists and turns as life brought us more pet children than we had planned. We started fostering for GBR in September 2018 with plans to not bring any more dogs permanently into the home, with three dogs at that time. Little did we know that in a period of four months we would lose one beloved golden boy and adopt two playful golden and lab-golden girls. A year later, with four dogs in our family we are at full paw-capacity! Each day is an adventure and we couldn't imagine our lives without Joy in them. All dogs are special, but Joy is truly extraordinary. She is the most loving and joyful dog with more hugs and kisses than we could dream. We are so thankful for the work Golden Bond Rescue does, all of the amazing volunteers and for bringing both Poppy and Joy into our lives. To follow Joy's adventures, follow her on Instagram @joysgaggleofgoldens. Golden Bond Rescue is dedicated to improving the lives of golden retrievers. Joy is one of 3,000+ success stories.