Every time Brooklym Washburn goes to put on her shoes, Joey, her senior rescue Chihuahua, does the same heartbreaking thing.
Aged 13, Joey’s story is quite incredible. He came into Washburn’s care last year, after being rescued by Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue in Washington state. “He was actually found abandoned in a car, and the police notified animal control,” Washburn said. “When they arrived and brought him to the local animal shelter, they initially thought he had passed away—but he was actually just sleeping.”
Joey’s eyes were in very bad condition when he was found. “The veterinarian originally believed both eyes would need to be removed because of deep ulcers,” Washburn said. “However, that’s when we discovered that Joey has hemophilia, which made surgery far too risky, so the procedure had to be canceled.”
Instead, Washburn and her best friend and fellow foster carer Billie Wensveen began treating Joey’s eyes with antibiotics. Then something wonderful happened. “His right eye completely healed,” Washburn said. “His left eye still needs help, though, and he’ll likely require a procedure to place an ‘eye patch’ to protect it.”
Washburn got into fostering through Wensveen whom she considers both a best friend and “bonus mom” who also posts about their foster pups on TikTok under the handle @billiewensveen. “She welcomed me into her family about three years ago so I could pursue nursing school, and she’s the one who introduced me to the world of fostering,” she said.
Joey came into their lives at an important juncture. “We took him in shortly after my childhood dog passed away. My family and my childhood pup were back in Iowa, so not being there for that was really heartbreaking,” Washburn said. “Joey honestly helped heal something in my heart. I truly feel like we saved each other in a lot of ways.”
Though Joey is technically a foster dog, he is actually more a “fospice” canine. He will spend the rest of his life with Washburn. “Because of his age and his medical condition, hemophilia, he isn’t adoptable,” she said. Given that senior dogs are around half as likely to be adopted as their younger peers, according to the ASPCA, that is good news.
That sense of permanency, coupled with the timing, has helped Washburn build a unique bond with Joey. They have grown very attached to one another. So much so, that even the sight of Washburn putting on her shoes to go to class is enough to send Joey spiraling. Maybe it is a hint at something distressing from his former life, maybe he’s worried Washburn is going to abandon him like some have before or maybe he just loves her so, so much, but the resulting anguish it creates is devastating to see.
Washburn shared a clip of Joey’s reaction to her TikTok @brooklynwashburn. It went viral, amassing over 175,000 views. “That pretty much always happens,” she said. “He doesn’t like to see my shoes come out, generally. He and I are pretty close, and I think he gets sad when I have to leave.”
Joey is due to undergo surgery soon to get his left eye fixed. It is expensive but worth it for Washburn and Wensveen. In the meantime, Washburn said she hopes Joey’s story not only raises awareness but also serves as a reminder that there are senior dogs everywhere waiting to be loved. “Senior dogs have so much love to give,” Washburn said. “My hope is that this video doesn’t just help Joey—it helps people open their hearts to senior dogs everywhere and maybe inspires someone to visit their local shelter and give one a chance.”
Senior dogs like Joey deserve to be spoiled. Thankfully, special snacks are available for the more-distinguished canines out there. Get Naked Biteables Senior Health Soft Dog Treats are a popular choice, and the chicken flavor snacks are available on Amazon now.
