01/11/2026
We've got great news - Joe's had his second surgery and his splint is officially OFF! 🎉
We haven’t updated you on Joe in a while, so we’re well overdue - and we’re so pleased it’s with happy news.
Earlier this year, Joe was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia in both front legs. It’s been a big journey - a surgery on each leg, with healing time to follow each one - and, we’ll be honest, a pretty expensive one too.
Thank you to his puppy raisers and boarders, who took it all in their stride. It was a lot of extra work, and not quite what anyone signed up for - we're extra grateful for your dedication in getting Joe through.
Joe’s now on track to begin formal training next year, continuing his journey to becoming an Assistance Dog who’ll change someone’s life.
Joe’s care was never in question - we’ll always do whatever it takes to look after our dogs, and we’re only able to make that promise because of supporters like you.
We do our best to prepare for unexpected costs like these, but the truth is, with around 30 dogs in our care, medical journeys like Joe’s still take a bit of a hit on a small charity like ours. If you would like to make a small contribution to the cost of his care, we’d be so grateful - it all makes a difference. And if you’d simply like to celebrate his recovery with us, that’s more than enough too. 💙
https://www.assistancedogstrust.org.nz/make-a-donation
Good boy, Joe! We are so pleased to see you out the other side 🐾🥰
