By Lydia PatrickShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA senior rescue Chihuahua thought to be “on death’s door” stunned his foster mom when he suddenly burst with energy and began chasing her chickens.
Billie Wensveen (@billiewensveen) took in the fragile dog after he was abandoned in a car and brought to the local animal control center. From there, he was released to Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue in the Tri-Cities area of south-central Washington State.
“Despite everything he’s been through, Joey is an incredibly happy little guy. He fit right into our pack from the moment he arrived. He’s a super-sweet old man who, as you can see in the video, enjoys causing harmless trouble with the chickens.
#"He has just one tooth, loves to sleep, loves to eat, loves to snuggle, and he’s surprisingly frisky with our 2-year-old female Chihuahua. We adore him and feel so lucky to be his foster family, and we’re grateful to Mikey’s Chance for trusting us with his care,” Wensveen told Newsweek.
Wensveen said Joey arrived in extremely poor condition after being found abandoned and was considered an emergency intake because of his fragile health. She explained that he is estimated to be 12 to 13 years old, partially blind, and mostly deaf. Initial veterinary exams revealed that one of his eyes had already ruptured and the other was close to doing so, prompting plans for a surgical removal. Vets believed he had been in severe pain for a long time.
...However, when he was brought in for surgery on Monday, bloodwork showed dangerously poor clotting, making anesthesia life-threatening. The procedure was canceled. According to Wensveen, vets later found that Joey’s ruptured eye had sealed on its own and was no longer causing pain, while the remaining eye, though ulcerated, still provides limited vision.
He is now being treated with oral antibiotics and eye drops every two hours in the hope of preserving what sight remains. His bloodwork has been sent to a specialist to determine whether an underlying bleeding disorder is contributing to his condition.
Despite all this, Joey’s spirit remains strong. A video showing the tiny senior dog frantically chasing chickens around a pen—while Wensveen’s cries of “Joey” ring out—it has racked up more than 90,800 likes on TikTok.
"POV: you think your foster dog is on death's door and then he meets the chickens," she wrote as the text overlaying the video.
Viewers were quick to share their amusement and their own stories.
“So you have a chicken herding Chihuahua,” one user joked.
“My Jack Russell had severe dementia, never forgot how to chase a cat,” another commented.
“Our oldest is 14. Every time I worry about him he chases me with a dead mole. His dad is like, ‘He still has it! Barely any teeth but hey,’” wrote another viewer.
“He’s going to have sweet dreams reliving that chase,” someone else added.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
LifeOne Question on X Was Viewed Over 700M Times—Then the Account Got Suspended3 min read
Family & ParentingPregnant Bridesmaid Decides To ‘Guest Swap’ Husband, Shock at What Follows4 min read
PetsShelter Dog Enjoying Day Out Has Saddest Reaction When Realizing He’s Back3 min read
PetsTears at What Senior Dog Still Tries to Do After Losing Vision to Diabetes3 min read
LifeDog Gets ‘Social Anxiety’ When Meeting Puppy, His Reaction Goes Viral3 min read
Home & GardenWoman Has a Plan To Give Room ‘Old’ Aesthetic—Then It Goes Horribly Wrong3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsSarah Beckstrom, Andrew Wolfe Identified as National Guard Shooting Victims7 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump, Biden and the Real Record of Afghan Vetting5 min read
NewsWinter Storm Map Shows Areas Possibly Getting Hit for Thanksgiving3 min read
National Guard Shooting Suspect Worked With CIA, Director Says4 min read
WorldUkraine War Live Updates—Russia Praises Trump ‘Realism’, Putin Promises Allies New Weapons2 min read
PoliticsJD Vance’s Chances of Being 2028 GOP Nominee Plunging: Polls5 min readTrending
New York8 Million Inflation Refund Checks Sent Out Ahead of Thanksgiving4 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Warning As 20 Inches of Snow To Hit: ‘Life-Threatening’4 min read
Live BlogThanksgiving Winter Storm Live Tracker, 2,000 Flights Delayed, Up To 3 ft Of Snow Expected1 min read
DogsAfter 2 Days at Daycare, German Shepherd’s Return Goes Viral: ‘Never Again’3 min read
Live BlogDC Shooting: Two Shot National Guard Members and Suspect Pictured—Live Updates2 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Anti-Thanksgiving Edition3 min read
OpinionHow to Remain Grounded and Thankful Amid the Chaos5 min read
OpinionThis Thanksgiving, Affordability Isn’t Just About the Turkey. It’s Everyday, Every Bill, Every Choice | Opinion4 min read
OpinionINTERPOL Must Not Elect One of Its Chief Abusers As Its Next President | Opinion4 min read
OpinionWhy We Care About Turkey Costs | Opinion5 min read
