July 27, 2011 - April 15, 2024

You were the first small adult dog that ever came to live with us. We always had big dogs. You were a stray when my daughter Melani found you. You were going to live with her and her other dog Jazzy. As she would bring you to our house for visits, you seemed to enjoy it here with the big yard and the other dogs.

One night at 3:00 a.m. I heard my husband at the kitchen door saying "hey buddy, what are you doing here?" It turned out that you had escaped from Melani's house which was about 2 miles away and made it back to our house. We often wonder what route you took and how long it took you to get here. You climbed under the fence and barked at the back door. It was amazing how a little 18 lb., black in color, determined dog made it here in the middle of the night. We knew you chose to live here and were home to stay and would never leave again. And you didn't. That was almost 13 years ago. You made yourself at home and fit right in with your brothers and sisters. But you are gone now and we are heartbroken.

While you were still at Melani's house you and Jazzy had a litter of pups. We wanted one so we took the little tan one which became my very special angel Izzie. We brought Izzie's mother Jazzy, to live with us shortly after we brought Izzie home. So we had the whole little family, Joe the dad, Jazzy the mum and Izzie the daughter, plus our pittbulls Ozzie and Roxie, and our black lab Ziggy. What a perfect family that was. We lost our beautiful Ziggy in June of 2016 and our little angel Ozzie in December of 2016. We rescued another beautiful black lab Bailee in January 2017. Unfortunately Izzie passed away last April at age 9 from diabetes and I have yet to get over the loss and I don't think I ever will.
At one point when you came to live here, we had 6 dogs. We lost our beloved Bailee at 14 years old in August of 2023. Now all we have left is super cute Jazzy who is 12 and our gorgeous pittbull Roxie who is 14.

You were always such a good boy. A little feisty at times but it was what made you "you". You were the best dog with other dogs and people. You were a good traveler when we went on vacations. If we took you to the swimming pool or dog park, you always hung with the biggest dog that was there. You had no fear of anything. Around our 200' fence in our yard and the huge fence at the dog park you used to walk along the fences constantly and people used to laugh and say there goes Joe doing "his prison walk".

You were a great escape artist. Daddy did his best to keep you from getting loose and it worked. One night around 7 p.m. Joe was missing. We had no idea how he got out. Daddy walked around and I drove around looking for him. Two of our daughters came from several miles away to help us look. After about an hour with no luck, Daddy said to my one daughter.....this might sound silly but did you look under the one recliner on the couch? Sure enough that's where he was, never having made a sound and all squished up under there!!

You were also a great alarm clock. You never missed alerting us when it was time to eat at 2:30 am and 2:30 pm.

You were a happy little boy who loved his family and we loved you.

You were diagnosed with a collapsed trachea several years ago and we managed it fairly well. September of 2022 you were diagnosed with a thoracic mass which they did not recommend surgery. We did everything we could for you but the last few days you stopped eating. Sunday we took you in your stroller to my grandaughter's birthday party and shockingly enough you ate very well. Sunday night you had a very bad night with your breathing. I was texting the vet Monday morning when I heard you bark out in the yard. We ran out and you were taking your last breaths. You chose your favorite place to lay in the yard to leave us. You broke our hearts Joe.

We will miss you until the time we are reunited. I love my "Little man" so much.
Love, Mum, Daddy, Melani, Randi, Erin, Roxie and Jazzy

I HIDE MY TEARS WHEN I SAY YOUR NAME,
BUT THE PAIN IN MY HEART IS STILL THE SAME.
ALTHOUGH I SMILE AND SEEM CAREFREE,
THERE IS NO ONE WHO MISSES YOU MORE THAN ME.

April 20, 2024
I miss my little man so much I can hardly bear it. I have not been able to sit in the living room since last Sunday evening when you were still with us. I cannot look at your favorite dog beds in that room but yet I cannot remove them. Soon we will be together again with the whole gang. I live for that time. Love you "mister man".
Love,
Mumma

April 24, 2024
Hi Little Man. I visit you here everyday and I think about you constantly. I love and miss you "little man".
Love,
Mumma

April 30, 2024
Hello Joe. Everywhere I look I see you there. I even hear you barking. We miss you so much. I love you and we will see you soon. Love you "little man".
Love,
Mumma

July 27, 2024
I still cannot believe you are gone. We miss you so much. Today is your birthday. You would have been 13. You could have been older though since you were a stray and we didn't know exactly when you were born. We used the day we found as your birthday. You were not a puppy so who knows? All we know is that we could not have loved you more than we did. You were our "little man" and were one of a kind. I cannot wait to see you and all the gang again. I live for that day. Take care and remember how much you are loved and missed.
Love,
Mumma

Please also visit Bailee, Charly, Izzie, Ozzie, Pud, Pud-Pud, Ziggy and Zoe Ann Weaver.