I was so lucky to find Joy just about a month after we lost Gracie. We had Gracie for 13 years. She was the sweetest and most gentle of dogs. She knew my husband for three years so losing her was extra hard because it was light losing another connection with my husband. The house was too quiet without the pitter patter of a dog’s movement and the unconditional love was being missed as I walked into the house, now living on my own. Joy really rescued me. She is shy and skittish with other people except my daughter and son. She tries to warm up to friends but she’s anxious. I get that since I have my own anxiety issues. She is so attached to me and is such a sweetheart. I love her so very much. I tell her so very often-thank you Joy for bringing me so much joy.

When we lost our dog Hazel, a wonderful gentle empathic loving dog suddenly, it was so very hard. I do not cry easily and I cried so much for her. She was beautiful inside and out. Hazel was a brown and white English Springer Spaniel. She passed during the part of our lives where my father was sick and dying. It was brutal on many fronts. We did not have a dog for about six months. When we got up from sitting shiva for my dad, we went to the animal shelter.

We thought that our next dog who was Gracie would be an older dog. Well my daughter meandered into the puppy area, my husband met us there after work, my son was away at college or maybe on second thought, he was home on college break and the rest is history. Gracie at two months old, up from a kill shelter in TN. gave me, my daughter and my husband kisses right away. The shelter was getting ready to close as it was late already. My references were called. My husband and I had work the next day. My son was not old enough to be able to adopt Gracie the next day for us. The place-The North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, New York on Long Island stayed open for us to fill out all the paperwork, buy all the supplies and bring Gracie home with us that night. We were overjoyed! Gracie was amazing! More on Gracie another time and ofcourse Joy too.