Animals will never cease to amaze and captivate me. A Border Collie dog named Jiffy is no different from other animals in his ability to amaze, but his story is surely unique.
You might remember Jiffy from the headlines he inspired when he was found frozen to the pavement outside his home. He survived the ordeal, but the odds were against him ever leading a normal life again. Not only because he had been outside in the cold for such an extended period and stuck to the pavement to boot, but because the poor dog was morbidly obese and elderly.
All of these things didn’t auger well for Jiffy. However, the dog had different ideas about his future and even if people might give up on him, Jiffy was not ready to give up on himself. So a little over a year later, a much slimmed down Jiffy has survived quite well with a little help from some caring friends.
Jiffy’s story is truly one of stamina, survival and the unwillingness to give up just because the odds say you shouldn’t make it. He illustrates that better things really are just around the corner if you just have the fortitude to make it through the tough times.
From The Northwestern:
Several months earlier, Jiffy had been found frozen to a sidewalk after being left outside overnight in single-digit temperatures because his former owner couldn’t get him back inside.
The elderly dog didn’t suffer any lasting injuries from the incident, which attracted widespread media attention and resulted in the owner relinquishing the rights to Jiffy.
But it belied a larger problem — Jiffy, who likely survived the night due to his dense layers of fat, was obscenely overweight, to the point he could hardly stand up.
Now, a little more than a year after the incident, Jiffy appears happy as can be, and with his slimmed-down body, he’s even got a little bounce in his step.
“He’s moving like a regular dog again,” said Patty Geise, 46.
Of course, the family wasn’t sure what to expect when they first brought Jiffy home.
Sure they could give Jiffy a loving home and help the portly canine shed some belly fat, but they figured that Jiffy might never be the dog that loves long walks and races upstairs to sleep near their bed every night.
So it came as a huge surprise when they awoke one night to what sounded like a grizzly bear rumbling up to the second story of their home, a sign that their not-so-little-buddy was regaining his form.
Read the rest of Jiffy’s story and see pictures of this resilient dog here.
Let’s all keep a good thought for Jiffy and here’s hoping for a lot of good times ahead for this spunky canine. I hope he soon looks as slim and fit as the Border Collie in our picture. Certainly this dog deserves to spend the rest of his years being a happy and healthy pet.
