by Lee Juslin

Susie has been a member of Dachshund Rescue of North America since 1999. Currently she is the senior rep for North Carolina as well as a leader and mentor for newer volunteers. Given her experience, Susie is well aware of the problems caused by so-called backyard breeders. So, when she took in Joy-Ci, a double dappled Doxie, as a foster, she was not surprised that the little girl was blind and partially deaf. Dappled Doxies, as with some other breeds, look like they have been splattered with paint. Joy-Ci is a mix of white, black, brown, and grey.

Joy-Ci

Experienced breeders know better than to mate two dappled Dachshunds because it always produces off spring that are blind and often deaf as well. But, backyard breeders, inexperienced in breeding, are too often only looking at the money involved and the fact that people pay more for unusually colored dogs. “It’s a sad fact,” said Suzie. “Careless breeder programs by uncaring, inexperienced people and the dogs are the ones that suffer.”

Found on the side of the road as a stray on New Year’s Day along with another Dachshund who has already found her forever home, Joy-Ci, despite her handicaps, is nevertheless a happy, independent girl who loves people and gets along with the other dogs in Susie’s house. Joy-Ci likes attention on her own terms and will find Susie by using her tongue. Then she will put her paws on Susie’s leg asking to be picked up and cuddled. “She’s such a special girl; I had to name her for a special rescue person, Joyce Ambrose, whom we lost about a year ago.”

Recently, Susie and Joy-Ci attended a local dog event where Joy-Ci was quite a hit. Not content to be held by Susie, she insisted on greeting people and showing her independence. “One little girl wanted to take Joy-Ci over to meet her mother. I let her go but kept a watchful eye. Joy-Ci enjoyed every bit of the attention she got, and there was no holding back or growling.”

Susie feels that despite her handicaps including a recently removed tumor from her back which the vet does not feel will be a future problem; Joy-Ci could be adopted if the right home and adopters come forward. The right home for Joy-Ci would be one that is quiet and calm and has no young children. Older children, who know how to treat animals and could be made aware of Joy-Ci’s handicaps, would be okay. Susie says that Joy-Ci should not be with an elderly person because, with her blindness, she tends to get underfoot and could cause her person to trip and fall, especially dangerous for an elderly person. “I find I have to be very aware of where she is, and there have been a couple of near misses. She does seem to know her name and often responds when I call her, and that’s what makes me think she is not totally deaf.”

Joy-Ci is usually fine with other dogs but would not do well in a home with large or aggressive dogs. Susie says she feeds the little Doxie separately from the other dogs and, when Susie goes out, she crates everyone for their own safety. Joy-Ci is crate trained and knows her special crate. Though she is not aggressive, she will growl a warning when she is enjoying a chewy toy if another dog gets too close. Despite her blindness, Joy-Ci knows her boundaries and avoids unsafe areas. For instance, she does not try to go upstairs in Susie’s home, and she is careful on the deck and the steps when outside.

If you would like to learn more about Joy-Ci or the other rescued Dachshunds ready for their forever homes, visit the organization’s website: Dachshund Rescue of North America.

You can find more animal rescue, therapy animal, and other pet related articles in our pet section.

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Lee Juslin is a free lance copywriter living in North Carolina with her husband, Scott, and her band of misfits: Tarquin, a Wheaten Scottish Terrier, and three handicapped cats. They can be seen on their website: Hampshire Hooligans. She owns I B Dog Gone, a small embroidery business and is the author of the Nurse Frosty books for children and Frosty’s Story: Tales of a Therapy Dog. She supports a number of national and regional terrier rescue organizations.