LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 18 Spring 2015 LOCALadk Magazine The Joshua Fund Story by Kim Verstringhe Photos by Scott Mierop C amp Joshua sits at the end of a long driveway in Jay, NY. I was invited there to talk with Dan Bain, the founder of The Joshua Fund. Upon entering Camp Joshua, the first thing I noticed was the view; probably the best view of Whiteface Mountain there is. And second, my eyes fell on a beautiful yellow labrador retriever, lounging comfortably in a large crate. I would soon learn the lab's name is Colden, and that he had it pretty tough up until recently, when The Joshua Fund came into his life. Colden was rescued from a high kill shelter in the south by The Joshua Fund, and found a forever home with Dan. Dan doesn't adopt every dog he rescues through the Joshua Fund, but Colden was special, and had a story that Dan knows all too well. Colden tested positive for heartworm - which 85% of the dogs that are rescued from the shelters in the south have - and also had mange. After a visit to the vet, a bullet wound and an entire arrowhead that had been lodged in his pelvic bone were found. After a long and difficult surgery, Colden was on his way to recovery. This sad story is one of the reasons The Joshua Fund exists, and the reason it all started was a dog named Joshua. If you've been in Lake Placid during the past few years and stopped at The Adirondack Corner Store, on Rt 73 on the way into town, you might have noticed a donation jar on the counter with a picture of an adorable yellow lab, titled, "The Joshua Fund." This single donation jar started what would become, in a few short years, an organization that would touch the lives of thousands of dogs by helping pay for their medical expenses and rescuing hundreds from euthanization at kill shelters. The fund, which began in 2011, was inspired by the life of Joshua, a dog rescued by Dan. When Joshua was rescued he was an older dog with many health issues including a problem with obesity. He was dangerously 35 lbs overweight. Dan, his partner Ken, and the veterinarians tried everything possible to help Joshua lose his extra weight. Success finally came with a new weight-loss drug made specifically for dogs. Joshua was able to lose 30 pounds in one year with the medication, but the medication was very expensive. With Joshua's other health issues and his increasing age, his medical expenses had become

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