A cardboard box on a Queens curb was an unsafe, bewildering place for a small dog to be found. On April 11, 2026, NYPD officers discovered Joon there and brought her to the ASPCA Animal Hospital.
Joon, a three-year-old Maltese mix, was severely matted, dirty and underweight. Her coat was soiled, and forensic veterinarian Dr. Alison Liu documented inflammation on Joon’s hind end from prolonged contact with urine and feces. She was also frightened. The ASPCA reported that she had no injuries, but the condition in which she arrived made clear that recovery would require more than one dramatic act of rescue. It would take medical treatment, gentle handling and time.
The officers investigated the circumstances surrounding Joon’s discovery. According to the ASPCA’s account of Joon’s recovery, the case was later closed without an arrest. There is no public explanation for who left Joon at the curb or why. What is documented is what happened next: a coordinated effort to make her comfortable, nourish her safely and give her room to regain confidence.
The first priority was relief. Veterinary staff sedated Joon so they could clip away her heavy mats, bathe her and treat her irritated skin without adding to her distress. Her low weight required its own careful plan. An underweight dog cannot always simply be given large meals immediately. Rapid refeeding can cause serious metabolic and electrolyte complications, which is why ASPCApro guidance for emaciated dogs stresses a gradual, closely monitored approach that can be adjusted according to the individual dog’s condition.
For Joon, the physical work was only the beginning. Once she was stable enough to leave the hospital, she went to the ASPCA Recovery & Rehabilitation Center in Pawling, New York. She would spend five weeks there.
At first, the small milestones were exactly that: small. Joon had a larger living space with a crate inside, and she often chose the crate as her refuge. A care and enrichment technician had to carry her outside. For a dog who had arrived fearful and uncomfortable, being asked to walk into an unfamiliar outdoor space could be a great deal.
Then the outdoors began to become something else. Joon started showing interest in grass and sniffing around. She had little bursts of running. These are ordinary dog activities, but within Joon’s documented recovery they mattered because they were voluntary. She was beginning to engage with the world around her rather than retreat from it.
The staff did not rush that process. Her days included treats, outdoor time, patient and consistent handling, and the lower-stress setting of the rehabilitation center. Joon initially grew particularly attached to one care and enrichment technician, Kelly Lewis. She became excited when Lewis arrived, spinning at the front of her door, and later spent her days in Lewis’s office suite.
That preference was not a problem to be corrected. It was a starting point. Trust after a frightening experience can be highly specific. A dog may feel secure with one familiar person long before they are ready to welcome every visitor, tolerate every touch or leave their hiding place without hesitation. The work is often less about persuading the dog to be brave and more about making each interaction predictable enough that the dog can choose to participate.
That approach is consistent with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s position on humane training. The organisation recommends reward-based methods for dogs, including those with behaviour concerns, and advises against aversive techniques or punishment. For a fearful dog, calm routines, food rewards and the ability to move away can help make human contact feel safer.
Joon’s care included practical adjustments to reduce unnecessary stress. Her collar and harness were left on during the day and removed at night, so staff did not need to repeatedly put them on and take them off. It was a modest detail, but an important one. Rehabilitation is often built from these decisions: reducing the moments that may feel difficult while creating more chances for a dog to experience comfort and control.
Over the five weeks, her progress became more visible. Joon gained weight. She grew more accepting of affection. Eventually, she became comfortable enough to curl up in Lewis’s lap. The dog who once needed to be carried outside was finding pleasure in grass, smells and movement, while also learning that a person’s presence could mean safety.
Her next meeting would test whether that new confidence could travel beyond the people and routines she knew.
Christina C. of Queens had recently lost Benji, her 10-year-old Bichon-Poodle mix. Looking through adoptable dogs on the ASPCA website, she came across Joon’s profile and applied to meet her. Christina then made the trip to Pawling.
Joon’s response surprised the staff who had watched her take such careful steps with unfamiliar people. Rather than remaining wary, Joon ran toward Christina when they met. The ASPCA described the greeting as unusual for a dog who had been selective about the people she trusted. It was not a guarantee that every adjustment ahead would be effortless, nor did it erase her earlier fear. But it was a meaningful choice from Joon herself.
Christina adopted her, bringing Joon back to Queens, the borough where her rescue had begun. She now lives with Christina, Christina’s mother and two resident dogs, Sugar and Rocky. Christina’s mother is with Joon during the workday, providing company as she continues settling into family life.
The details of Joon’s new routine are blessedly ordinary. She has backyard playtime, blankets, naps, lap time and a place in bed. After the uncertainty of the curbside box, these are not small things. They are the daily evidence of belonging.
Joon’s story should not be used to predict a timetable for another fearful or underweight dog. Every dog arrives with different needs, medical considerations and thresholds for trust. But her recovery does show why responsible rescue is more than a rescue moment. It includes veterinary judgment, nutrition that matches the dog’s condition, a safe environment and people willing to notice and respect progress that may begin with a sniff in the grass or a decision to come a little closer.
Five weeks after arriving frightened and matted at the ASPCA Animal Hospital, Joon ran to greet the person who would take her home. Today, her story ends not at the curb where she was found, but in a Queens household where she has room to play, rest and choose connection on her own terms.
References
- Recovery, Rehabilitation and a New Beginning for Joon | ASPCA
- Feeding Protocol & Nutrition Best Practices for Emaciated Dogs | ASPCApro
- Position Statements and Handouts (for the public) - The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
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