They Found Jo in an Attic. He Could Barely Stand.

When Constança and her team reached the attic, they found a frightened dog who could barely stand. His name was Jo. He needed veterinary care, and the first thing they could do for him was get him out of the house.

There would be exams, meals and treatment in the days that followed. As Jo began to put on weight, the team had something they could measure. 

Another change was harder to put a number on. The dog who had been so frightened when they found him was beginning to feel more at ease when someone came close.

The call that brought Constança to Jo

The call brought Constança DoceLar and her team to a property in Salvador, Brazil. Constança founded Doce Lar, an animal rescue organization in the city. Her profile on Adoteca describes about 25 years of work helping animals in Salvador.

The rescue account shared by Dog Haven on YouTube says Jo had spent his life shut away in a dark attic. The account describes how weak he had become by the time the rescuers reached him. “He grew so weak that even standing up became a struggle.”

Constança and her team handled him gently as they took him into their care. Once he was out of the house, the next step was to find out what he needed from the veterinary team.

What the veterinary team found

Jo’s care began with veterinary exams, food and medical treatment. His adoption profile on Adoteca records treatment for two tick-borne infections, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis. According to the rescue account, his liver also needed attention before some of his treatment could go ahead.

VCA Animal Hospitals explains, “Babesia invades mammalian red blood cells, causing anemia.” The infection was one of two his veterinary team had to account for as they cared for him.

Jo’s care had to happen in stages. His liver needed attention, and in the meantime, his carers kept up with the meals and veterinary care he needed.

He started to put on weight

At Doce Lar, Jo began getting stronger and putting on weight. In the account shared by the Dog Haven YouTube channel, the narrator describes how the rescuers stayed with him through treatment. “The team refused to give up.”

Weight gain gave the team a way to see a change in the dog they’d found struggling to stand. Even as he improved, there was more care ahead. The adoption listing still described treatment as ongoing,.

Meanwhile, there was something else the team could see when they came close to Jo. In the attic, he had been frightened when people came close. As he got stronger, he was also becoming more comfortable around the people caring for him.

A gentle touch became easier to accept

In the update shared by Dog Haven, Jo was beginning to accept a gentle touch. That was a change from the frightened dog the team had found. Getting stronger helped tell one part of his story. The way he responded to the people who had stayed with him through treatment told another.

For someone meeting a fearful dog, it can be tempting to reach out straight away. Best Friends Animal Society advises people to “let them approach to sniff on their own if they choose to.” That advice gives the dog some say in how the first meeting goes.

Jo’s growing comfort around his carers mattered for the next part of his story, too. The people who would meet him through Doce Lar would be meeting a dog who had begun to feel safer in the company of people.

A family was the next hope

The adoption listing spelled his name Jó and described him as an adult male with a black, white and mottled coat. At the time, he still needed veterinary follow-up, and vaccinations and neutering were planned. Constança was looking for a family prepared to take on the care he needed.

A dog’s medical history can help a prospective adopter understand what life together might look like. 

The American Kennel Club suggests asking, “Does this dog require any special medical care, ongoing treatment or dietary restrictions?” 

For someone considering a dog like Jo, that conversation could cover which appointments were already planned, what care the dog would need at home and who to contact with questions after adoption. It gives the family a chance to plan before they bring the dog home.

At the end of the update, a home was still the hope. Jo had already come out of the attic, started to put on weight and grown more comfortable with the people helping him. Somewhere ahead was the possibility of a family getting to know him the way his carers were beginning to.

Share Jo’s story with someone who’d be glad to know what Constança and her team did for him.

Also read:

Duke Could Barely Stand When He Was Rescued. Then He Spent Halloween With a Family