Nostromo Inspired Dog Names

Joseph the dog is a German Shepherd who was chained to a tree for four years. As macabre as that sounds, it's not a made up story - this is something that actually happened and went unanswered for months and months on end. Joseph's story made US headline news when it broke out in 2013; numerous news outlets and journalism agencies gave the story tons of press. Joseph the Dog and Joseph Conrad actually have quite a few traits in common - both endured tons of adversity in their lives and both had to struggle for a long time in order to find a new home. Naturally, perseverance and defining home are two of Nostromo's major themes. Though Joseph's story ends on a high note, it begins down in the trenches.

For years, Joseph lived under the heel of a man named Jeremy Shane Temple. Initially, Joseph was named Toby - the same name that was forcibly given to enslave the main character from the mini-series Roots. Many pundits on Joseph's story believe that this was done intentionally, as Joseph the dog was abused, beaten, and neglected as if he were living under the thumb of an oppressive slave master. Indeed, Temple didn't have a very high opinion of canines as he justified his actions by saying "the dog is not a human."

Nevertheless, the proper authorities were able to break through and rescue Joseph. Temple was taken into custody and charged with animal abuse. He was also fined severely and had Joseph taken from his custody. When the authorities did rescue the dog, they recorded him as being emaciated and starved nearly to death. Joseph had to be taken to an animal care facility and gradually nursed back to good health over a long period of time.

When Joseph's strength returned to him, he was spry and beaming. The dog was very friendly to those who interacted with him, despite his rough and brutal past. The Progressive Animal Welfare Society - or PWAS for short - felt that the German Shepherd should be given a new name instead of one with such a dark and dubious background. They renamed "Toby" Joseph - a name that has a very positive connotation, especially in relation to the Judeo-Christian Bible. You see, Joseph was sold into slavery as well - by his envious Brothers no less - but he eventually found his way to freedom, helped countless others, and even helped his siblings find redemption for this crime.