Name: Jubilee the cross-eyed Siberian husky.
Age: Four.
Appearance: Er, unusual.
What do you mean? Well, look at the picture.
The dog is cross-eyed. We prefer to say wide-eyed.
It does look weird. That’s the trouble with conventional people like you. Always looking at the external appearance rather than the beauty and sensitivity within.
It’s only a dog. But it’s a dog that has suffered. Jubilee was bred in the US and abandoned by its breeder, who said no one wanted to buy her because of her idiosyncratic appearance.
Idiosyncratic is putting it politely. You’re not Laurence Fox, are you? Anyway, Jubilee ended up at the Husky House shelter in New Jersey, where she languished for 18 months because no one wanted her.
Probably because Siberian huskies are generally attractive and noble-looking dogs that pull sleds across the Arctic tundra, rather than creatures with a look of permanent surprise that scare small children. I think I’ll just ignore you and carry on with the story. After getting no interest for 18 months, Husky House hit on the idea of putting the whole saga, with pictures, on Facebook in a post from Jubilee.
I fear you are about to quote from Jubilee’s missive. You’re dead right I am. “Huskies are majestic-looking dogs and I don’t know why I don’t look like them,” it said. “I wish I was beautiful so someone would want me to be their dog. I love people, but I’m a little shy because people mostly laugh at the way I look. Doesn’t anyone want a funny-looking husky? I wish I had a family of my own who could love me even though I’m not pretty.”
Yuk! Typical American schmaltz. No doubt it worked. Like a dream. The post went viral and more than 150 people applied to adopt Jubilee. “We received an overwhelming amount of love, support and inquiries,” said a spokesperson from the shelter. “We are so happy to see that everyone feels she is as wonderful as we always knew she was.”
Presumably she is now happily housed and we can all move on? Jubilee has found what Husky House calls her “forever home” with a family that has two other “fur siblings” and has previously adopted from the shelter.
Forever home, fur siblings … I think I’m going to be sick. Jubilee’s plight has produced some handy publicity for Husky House, which has even produced a “Team Jubilee” T-shirt, a snip at $25.
American capitalism lives on! I’ll order two. I quite like the fact the shelter is cashing in. Funny. I had a feeling you would.
Not to be confused with: Clarence the cross-eyed lion in the 60s TV show Daktari.
Do say: “What a lovely tale/tail.”
Don’t say: “Can dogs have cosmetic surgery?”
