A once-emaciated dog has since recovered and found a loving home thanks to a “foster fail.” Jonathan Gonzalez reports for the NBC4 News at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026.
A "foster fail" led to a lifetime of love for a pooch that recovered after being found severely malnourished in the Pasadena area.
Jordan, who is also known as Jojo, is a happy hound who enjoys playing fetch, tug of war and indulging in a nice scratch on his tummy. Despite his cheerful demeanor, his life wasn’t always so easy.
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The playful pooch was found malnourished, wandering through a parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. Concerned employees fed Jojo a hamburger patty and called the Pasadena Humane to rescue him.
After caring for the dog and steadily helping to improve his health, the animal shelter placed him into a foster home as it searched for his forever family. That’s when Jeni Incontro came in.
“He was 48 pounds, extremely emaciated, flea-infested and really sick,” Incontro said of when Jojo was first found.
Despite the delicate state he was in, Jojo was still friendly and affectionate.
“I don't know for sure, but my hunch is that he, at some point, had a family because he was trained,” Incontro said. “He was housebroken and he loved people.”
While under her care, Jojo bonded quickly with Incontro. Ahead of a work trip, however, Incontro was slated to return Jojo to the shelter as her foster care came to an end. When she returned from her trip, Incontro said she was surprised that the sweet pooch had still not been adopted.
“I saw Jordan's name on the board to go get fostered by someone else, and I just kept thinking, ‘No, no, no. This is my dog.’ And then I came back and adopted him,” she said.
Incontro said much of the staff at Pasadena Humane showed up at Jojo’s adoption to give him a touching send-off. Now, the two live happily with one another and are enjoying their new lives together.
