But now, one year since Joseph's rescue, the German shepherd is healthy and will soon be officially adopted by his foster family.
He was really a sad, sad looking dog, and you could see it in his eyes. But I think from what you saw today, he's happy," said Gayle Corrill who will officially adopt Joseph as soon as the vet gives him a clean bill of health.
"He's a happy dog, and he's so loving. You would think that he would be aggressive as far as food and with people. Not one bit of aggression in him at all."
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| Jeremy Shane Temple |
Joseph's former owner, Jeremy Shane Temple, was found guilty of animal abuse, having an improperly chained dog and having an unlicensed dog. He was sentenced last November to five days in jail and fined a little more than $3,000 to cover veterinarian bills.
When Joseph was found chained to a backyard tree in Middletown, he was being "eaten alive" by fleas, rescue workers said.
"When I gave him a bath, the blood just ran off of him,” a volunteer at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) said at the time.
PAWS Executive Director Tracy Gilchrist said Joseph's teeth were badly damaged when he was brought to the facility because he tried to eat rocks while he was tied up. He has been spoon-fed wet dog food since his rescue and will soon undergo dental surgery.
Officers said Temple's neighbors witnessed the abuse, but thought the animal was sick.
Ron Allman, who lived next door, told WCPO last year Temple denied abusing his pet.
"They told us that it was a disease that he had," Allman said.
After Temple was arrested, Allman said one of his family members asked him for a favor.
"She wanted us to write a sort of note...that we never saw anyone mistreat the dog. So we did,” Allman said.
When the arresting officer asked Temple about the dog's condition, his answer was, "the dog is not a human,” according to a police report.
Temple called the German shepherd Toby. But his rescuers renamed him Joseph, after the biblical character who was left for dead and became a ruler.
PAWS is holding a "birthday party" for Joseph Saturday at 2 p.m. at its new facility at 6302 Crossings Blvd. in Monroe, Ohio. The event marks Joseph's freedom exactly one year since his rescue on Sept. 27, 2013.
Joseph's foster family will be adopting him just as soon as he's cleared by a veterinarian, Gilchrist said. Twenty-four dogs and 34 cats will be up for adoption at Saturday's event.
For more information, call PAWS at 513-422-7297.
(WCPO - Sep 26, 2014)
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