Jako's Happily Ever After and Fundraiser

Meet Jako. All dogs are special to us, but Jako is the cherry on top of the cake (don't tell the other dogs).

We first found him in 2015, his two front paws broken and bent. He tried his best to hobble around the shelter in Tunisia, but we knew that this wasn't a good life for him. We can't express how heartbreaking it was, seeing such a gentle and kindhearted dog like him in such a bad situation, made even more painful by the quotes impossible quotes we got from orthopedic vets.

In short, we didn't think there was any possible way we could help him. We have limited resources that simply couldn't afford to take on his medical bills. Despite that, we kept a keen eye on him. Whilst his situation was worsening and we were increasingly worried, Jako himself never let his strife get him down. He befriended every person that came his way and even took several terrified puppies under his wing, protecting them from the larger dogs in the shelter.

That was until our volunteer week when one of our wonderful volunteers, Wendy, met him and fell head over heels in love. She made a promise to him, sharing him on facebook and trying to gain traction to help him. Amazingly, the incredible team at GSD helpline found Jako and became as desperate to save him as we were. They offered to pay his vet bills if we could get him to Europe, which we did as quickly as possible.

With Fitzpatrick's referrals treating him so well and straightening out his front paws, Jako started mending. It wasn't plain sailing, he suffered from a Mediterranean disease called leishmania which only showed itself in the UK when his kidneys started failing and he had to be treated for that too.

Now, though, Jako is loving life with the founder of the GSD helpline, Brenda Jojic. Our huge, huge thanks go out to her and the rest of the GSD helpline, without whom Jako would still be stuck in a shelter in Tunisia, trying to get by on two bent legs.

Jako still needs funding for his hip problem, so if you would like to help him please visit the GSD's page on facebook or Jako's own facebook page to contribute towards his fundraiser, or even just share Jako's story. Every little helps towards giving this big, friendly giant a second chance to a long, happy life.

Find Jako's page over at https://www.facebook.com/jako.gsdhelpline/… and the wonderful team at the GSD helpline over at www.facebook.com/groups/gsdhelpline.