Happy Birthday Joy! Today, my Labrador Retriever named Joy turns 10 years old. Joy is a very special dog. She spent the first couple years of her life being trained by a woman named Tracy to be a Helping Paws service dog. After training, she spent seven years working for my friend Kathy. She did her job with enthusiasm and really lived up to her name. In October of 2009, Joy developed a condition called sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS). Unfortunately this disease caused Joy to permanently lose her sight. Because of this, Joy was retired and I volunteered to take her into my home and help her transition to her new life as a beloved pet with a disability. It has been a real “joy” to have Joy be part of my life and I look forward to more good years with her. She is just as sweet as she looks. I know some folks have told me that they feel sad when they hear that Joy is blind now. You don’t have to feel sad for her. She has adapted to her new reality very well and lives a pretty normal life. She is an amazing, sweet, snuggly, lovable dog.

I know in my last blog entry I talked about Joy being very sick with pneumonia. Don’t worry, she has fully recovered. It was a long road, but Joy is once again full of joy.

Tags: Helping Paws, Joy