Meet Joey.

West Sacramento, CA · Baby · German Shepherd Dog

Listed since Aug 28, 2026. Listing dates do not establish shelter intake or continuous availability.

First seen by Goodmorph Oct 30, 2026.

Rescue last updated: Oct 29, 2026

In the shelter’s words

Joey’s comeback story just keeps getting better! And he'll be hosting our table at Leash and Collar Sacramento's Annual Tricks for Treats event on Saturday, October 31st, from 10 am to 1 pm. Look for us on Q Street between 17th and 18th Streets. Joey’s world is getting bigger, and his happy personality is shining brighter every day! Eight weeks after his femur repair surgery, this resilient boy is enjoying short breaks from crate rest and rediscovering the fun of being a puppy. He loves his toys, has an impressive tug game, a wonderful recall, and an enthusiasm for treats!Joey had his first group lesson last week and also took a field trip to the feed store to check out all kinds of new smells. And he was such a good boy, taking treats and learning to shake. Joey also went to Geisthaus Brewing Company for a Brewery Manners class with Wholistic Canine and was a super good boy at the Citrus Heights Food Plaza's Halloween event. He'll be back to low-key activities and crate confinement for a few days, but this time to recover from his neuter surgery. His surgical incision has healed, and he’s said goodbye to his e-cone. He’s also been practicing his vacation skills! Over Labor Day weekend, Joey joined his foster family for a getaway to Tahoe, where he rode beautifully in the car and enjoyed the mountain air from the deck. What a trooper!Joey’s journey began with a serious fracture of his right femur, broken into multiple fragments, along with an infected open wound. Thanks to the quick response of Hitchcock Road Animal Services, the generosity of our friends at @UCDavisFractureProgram, and a team of dedicated volunteers who arranged transport from Salinas to Davis in just hours, Joey got the urgent medical care he needed. Two plates were used to repair his femur, and he headed to his foster home on August 29 to begin his recovery.The road to healing called for strict crate rest, but Joey has made the most of his recovery. He’s mastered crate and potty training, discovered the joys of chew toys (especially while shedding his baby teeth!), and shown us just how much personality can shine through, even when a puppy has to take it easy.Now, as Joey has healed, we’re excited for everyone to meet this wonderful boy. He’s overcome a lot in his short life, and his future is looking brighter every day. His next big adventure? Finding a forever family who will love him as much as he deserves! Want to help Joey on his road to recovery? You can send toys and treats through our Chewy or Amazon wish lists, donate via Venmo at @shepheroes, or use the donate button next to his bio at shepheroes.org/adopt.Every bit of support helps Joey get one step closer to his happily ever after! We are very thankful for any support you can give as we just launched Ambra, aka Summer, to her forever home after 4 months with us while she healed from multiple surgeries. We continue to care for Otti, who has been with us for 9 months, has undergone two abdominal surgeries, and was recently diagnosed with EPI.Have you seen our YouTube channel? We would really appreciate your support by subscribing, liking, and commenting on our videos of adoptable shepherds in action. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and our new Threads account, where we share lots of news and updates about our shepherds.Since ShepHeroes is a foster-based rescue, we always need more foster homes. Many shepherds in our local shelters need a fresh start. Would you open your home and share your life to help shepherds find new families? You provide the love, and we will take care of everything else. Saying "yes" today truly saves a life. Fill out the form at https://www.shepheroes.org/foster-form, and we will contact you soon. Thank you for considering it.

RescueGroups record ID: 22742228

What this home needs

• Other dogs

  Mentioned by the shelter

  “Feed checkbox: Yes”

  Not a verified observation — ask staff about the context. A positive shelter report may support search results; it remains unverified and needs confirmation.

  Shelter statement ↗
• Children

  Mentioned by the shelter

  “Feed checkbox: Yes”

  Not a verified observation — ask staff about the context. A positive shelter report may support search results; it remains unverified and needs confirmation.

  Shelter statement ↗
• Still to ask the shelter

  cats · housing and stairs · medical and care. These details are not documented here; unknown does not mean no.

Roster last seen: Nov 1, 2026, 6:21 AM UTC
Goodmorph last synced: Nov 1, 2026, 6:21 AM UTC
Availability confirmed by a person: Not confirmed

Shelter staff and authorized volunteers: add a dated observation

This shared profile remains available for up to 90 days after it leaves the source roster, unless removal is requested sooner. Adoptions and applications are handled by the shelter.