Watauga Humane Society (Boone, North Carolina) and Joe Dirt aka Nike

The Watauga Humane Society was established in 1969.  The private shelter moved to a new $4 million facility on a 13-acre campus in 2011.  It accepts animals from the Watauga County Animal Care and Control, but also does transports, including Korean meat dogs.   Their building has a capacity of 80 dogs and 100 cats.

Great facility, plenty of staff and volunteers, an engaged community - what could go wrong?

August 1, 2015
A young stray pit bull is brought into the Watauga Humane Society in Boone, North Carolina.  It is a male, fawn and white.  Within a month, someone has adopted it.

April 2016
Within 8 months, the pit bull has been brought back to the shelter and surrendered.  It is again made available for adoption.  Within 3 months, it has deteriorated behaviorally to the point where WHS decides it merits extra training and handling to attempt to make it more likeable.

June 2016
WHS hands regular care and training of the pit bull, now named "Joe Dirt," to their Diamond  in the Ruff (aka Diamond Dogs) program of volunteers who train and handle difficult dogs in an effort to make them more appealing to adopters.

WHS's website describes the Diamond Dogs program:

Diamond Dogs is a volunteer run program that pairs staff-chosen dogs with teams of trained volunteers to help them learn generalized manners and basic obedience skills. This will assist in making them more attractive to potential adopters.  The orientation instructs the participants in basic learning theory & the clicker training methods which are used to train the dogs. These are individually scheduled upon request. Introduction to Animal Care and Dog Care classes'  are the mandatory prerequesites. We ask that volunteers participating in the Diamond Dog program be able to commit at least one day per week to spend time working with their assigned dog/s.

June 7, 2016
The Watauga High School P.A.W. Club (Protecting Animal Welfare) holds a fundraiser and sponsors Joe Dirt.

The Watauga P.A.W. Club (Wataugas Protecting Animal Welfare) at Watauga High School held a fundraiser and raised enough money to sponsor Joe Dirt and make a donation. Thank you, everyone! Joe Dirt is a 1 year old male pittie mix who likes scratches and belly rubs and would love a home of his own.  

 

June 19, 2016

The FB page for Watauga Humane Society Diamond Dogs updates us on Joe Dirt, and publishes well-done photos in natural lighting as part of volunteer Erin Shelnut's Lights Cameras Adoption Dogs! Effort to market shelter dogs:

Check out these great photos of Joe Dirt, one of our beautiful shelter dogs waiting for a forever home. JOE DIRT (NIKE), 1.6 years old, male, Terrier American Pit Bull mix. This is my 2nd time out with Joe Dirt aka Nike who I just call JOE and for good reason. JOE DIRT IS MY WATAUGA HUMANE SOCIETY DOG PIC OF THE WEEK. Joe has been at the shelter since spring & I'm not sure why. What I do know is Joe is ready for a new family and is tired of being at the shelter and it shows in his current kennel manners, Recently I noticed Joe seems to demand attention before you pass by his kennel and I guess it's because he wants to be with you and this could be a deterrent for people. Again, let me repeat some dogs don't show well in the kennel, but are sweet as a summer rose outside of the shelter. Joe is about 40+ pounds and he's an absolute joy to be with. Joe will sit, lie down and yesterday he shook my hand several times for a treat. I'm not sure how he figured out how to stuff that huge kong toy in his mouth and then drag the kong over to a shady spot, but he did and it was funny to watch. Joe's motto in life seems to be "always be happy no matter what, even when life throws you a few pits" and you'll find Joe is true to his belief with a huge pitty smile and laugh (even with his eyes closed) that matches his big heart. Come meet and take a walk with Joe, you'll fall in love like I did.

July 25, 2016

The FB page for Watauga Humane Society Diamond Dogs updates us on Joe Dirt:

Joe Dirt is happy that two of his fellow Diamond Dog friends found homes during the past weekend's Clear the Shelter event. But he would like to remind you that he is still waiting for his new family. He is an excellent greeter - just ask volunteer Barb. He sat so nicely with her in the lobby welcoming every visitor to WHS and charming them with his super smile. At a year and a half this guy has put his puppy shenanigans behind him but still has plenty of youthful spirit and energy. Come meet him today.

August 2, 2016
The Watauga High School P.A.W. Club (Protecting Animal Welfare) Tweets an ad for Joe Dirt, with a photo showing him being patted by a girl.

November 2, 2016

Vickie Stevens on Google+ (underlining mine)

Joe Dirt first came to Watauga Humane Society in August of 2015 and adopted out within a month. Under no fault of his own, Joe was returned back to our care April of 2016. Unfortunately, we don't know much about Joe's history, but after getting to know him better, we believe he lived in an abusive home where he developed high reactivity to certain things. Seeing his reactivity and his poor behavior in the kennel environment, volunteers of the Diamonds in the Ruff training program decided to bring him on board in June 2016 to work on positive behavior skills to make him more adoptable.
Even with the daily training and patience, the stressful kennel environment took a toll on Joe's behavior and he kept declining. Joe's reactivity worsened and resulted in 3 separate bite quarantines, the most recent being so bad the person had to be taken to the local emergency room and have x-rays preformed. Due to his decline and eradict behavior Watauga Humane Society is unable to safely place him for adoption to a member of the public. That be said, our next step is to place him in a rehabiliation/training program/rescue to give Joe the skills needed to become an adoptable pet. Shelter manager Christy Watson reached out to a local rescue, that WHS works with, who has experience with dogs like Joe. The recommendation is to send Joe to Stephen Baldwin's Save them Dog Training located in Ohio.
We see the potential in Joe Dirt and think that with the proper, professional training that he can be taught to let go of his reactivity. The $900 we raise will help get Joe into the program where he will be assessed and on the road to rehabiliation. We are shooting to have the funds raised by November 7th, so the rescue can have him in Ohio to start his training. For the past 6 months, we have had the opportunity to see the good in Joe and with your help Joe will have the opportunity to find his perfect home. We can't thank you all enough for any support given to help Joe on his new adventure. For more information, please contact Shelter Manager Christy Watson at christyw@wataugahumanesociety.org

Christy Watson

Also on November 2, the Watauga Democrat publishes a letter which mentions Joe Dirt: 

This letter is dedicated to “Joe Dirt,” a 1-year-old neutered male dog, who is in the Diamond Dog program at Watauga Humane Society and presently in bite quarantine. I pray he is given another chance at rehabilitation. I’m sending out a request for a female to welcome him into her life. He seems to have a fear of a man from a history of abuse. (Why don’t I take him? I already have eight rescues of my own. We all live in my home in harmony.)

Early November, 2016

WHS allows a volunteer to take Joe Dirt, now a three-time biter, home with her, pending their ability to raise the money to ship the pit bull to Ohio for rehab training with Stephen Baldwin.

December 13, 2016

Joe Dirt attacks the volunteer at her home.  She is taken to the ER via ambulance.

December 14, 2016

Joe Dirt attacks the volunteer at her home again.  This is bite/attack #5.

December 15, 2016

The WHS volunteer, Lisa Neyland DeLaurentiis Fitzpatrick, opens a GoFundMe campaign to pay her hospital bills after Joe Dirt mauls her. 

At the beginning of November Lisa took a dog from Watauga Humane Society that had already bitten 3 times. Joe was at Lisas house for a month thriving and progressing.  On December 13 Joe reacted and attacked Lisa resulting in severe wounds and ambulence ride and emergency room stay. On December 14 Joe attacked Lisa again unprovoked These bites have caused Lisa to be out of work loosing money.  Lisa works tireslessly to save dogs noone else will take. Pleasr help her get back on
 her feet.