9 week old blind puppy??? PHOTOS!!! - Page 3

Fair Ellen continued . . .

When I passed by, an hour later, she was still lying stretched out there in the shade. But for the first time in twelve years, the sound of my step failed to bring her eagerly to her feet to greet me. This was so unusual that I went into the yard and bent down to see what was amiss.

Quietly, without pain, still happy, she had died in her sleep.

I can think of a thousand worse ways of saying good-bye to this thing we call life.

I have a friend that rescued a blind Irish Wolfhound puppy.  When evaluated at Tufts Vet School they confirmed blindness due to no optic nerve.She got him at 7 wks old, underweight, with pneumonia. He did just fine. She also had several other dogs so he just followed the others by sound, learned to be housebroken. He didn't know any other way of life, he didn't know he was missing anything. The only problem was when he was around strange dogs at the dog park he couldn't read the body language so he approached dogs that were warning him with a look and body posture plus she couldn't rearrange her furniture. He did end up with a seizure disorder also but it was well controlled with medication and  he lived a full and happy life, was so loving and friendly.

Touching story, Susan.  Made tears come to my eyes at the end.

Not everyone could provide the right home for a blind dog, nor have the patience for it, but I certainly wish I could.  I think the main reason Steph suggested what she did is that the GSD rescues have so many dogs that they don't really have time to work with one like this that has special needs.  Not that they'd be all that special in this case; a fenced yard, a leash at all times outside the yard.  Beyond that, if she has no other health problems, then I can't see the problem.

Steph, I sent you a PM.

Crys

Deaf and blind dogs take a very definate commitment from their owners above and beyond what's required of dogs that aren't  handicapped. I had a deaf akita (following severe Parvo) from puppyhood til she passed @ 12. She definately didn't suffer, in fact she had a rotten sense of humor about it.  When she was outdoors  she'd face away from the house and howl... glance back over her shoulder to see if she was attracting attention...KNOWING that she wouldn't be corrected if she didn't see the hand command to be quiet.  Blue was quite a charecter... but it does take extra time and caution to safely care for a dog like this.

BTW Terhune is one of my favorite authors from childhood... I had a collection of 17 of his books I lost in a house fire... and started over again. Now have 10, two of which are 1st editions. Though his stories are fiction they fed the hunger for a young dogless gal for many years.

Here's something I wrote about my blind Basenji (whose only special need consists of my having to make sure he doesn't bully the GSDs too mercilessly):

He is bold and bright and happy and brave. He makes me laugh.

He would be quite offended if you felt sorry for him. He gets around so well that people can’t even tell he’s blind, and I have trouble convincing them that he can’t see. Look at his eyes, I finally say, and then they see his eyes that look like beautiful white opals, covered with crystalline cataracts. The cataracts seem to help him, since they block the light that can be so painful to eyes afflicted by uveitis.

He takes no medicine for his eyes now, and the uveitis no longer bothers him, although he will never see again. He is a sturdy, sound, healthy little fellow and a joy to have as a companion. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.

If you’re in the market for a rescue dog, don’t pass up the disabled ones. They are often the best. If you don’t believe me, just ask my little blind Basenji. He knows.

Terhune could always make me cry.  Loved his books.  That's how I ended up with collies to begin with.  I also had a blind collie years and years ago.  She was the sweetest thing but if she felt you were in danger, woe to the party that offended her.  We loved her dearly, her name was Lady.  The breeder offered to take her back and give us another, in fact she called us to let us know that she had just been informed that the hereditary collie eye disorder which causes retinal detatchment was in our girl's background.  A sad day all around but we decided to keep her because we loved her.  Never regretted the decision. 

I am pleased Chewy will be going to a good home, he looks great now and full credit to you for that
keep up the good work the animals need more people like you
Steve

I loved his books and read them all as a child :-)      I would have loved to visit Sunnybank Farms back then.   Sunnybank Kennel was a real kennel, and the dog's he bred & wrote about were indeed his Collies.   Apparently, his estate in New Jersey is open to the public, and you can visit the graves of the dog's that he wrote about in his stories.      Even though I'm a GSD freak, his stories always made me do a double take when I would see a Collie on my travels.   Lad, Wolf, Bruce, etc.  I'll bet they were glorious representitives of the breed back then (20's and the 30's)...

I just found this link...  apparently the Sunnybank lines live on :-)

www.sunnybankcollies.us/line_lives_on.htm


meanwhile...Krazy...  GS's are fortunate to have someone like you around.  It takes dedication as well as hard decisions to do rescue.  So many breeders, So many dogs, and So few rescues to clean up the mess, the cast off's, & the unwanted.  Thanks for what you do.
 Thank You.

Steph, why not give the blind puppy to one of the midwestern, eastern, or California groups that have experience with disabled dogs and can easily place her in a good home? Transport can be arranged.

There's also Rolling Dog Ranch in Montana, which takes in only disabled animals--they will take her if they have room. Details at:

http://www.rollingdogranch.org/

Also, if you want to see the "misery" of a dog with another type of disability (paraplegia), check out the photos at:

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13788366

As the dog there puts it:

They may say I'm paralyzed, but I don't know what that means.
And I don't let it stop me.
Because what God left out from my legs,
He put in my heart.

Thanks everyone,
I love Terhune too, haven't read any for quite sometime...tears to my eyes too...

For everyone here that replied and doesn't know...I am the rescue here in Montana, and I have taken and kept and or adopted out when I can the disability dogs...I had a 3 legged 3 month old pup that broke his growth plate, had it pinned and the people that had it didn't keep it confined so it rebroke it, when I got it it was hanging loosely, I knew something was wrong. We tried repining but it wouldn't hold so we had to amputate...he was the best dog and ran and chased all my dogs like nothing was wrong...I was going to keep him, but someone that had already adopted another dog, saw him on my forum and fell in love and there he went, to an awesome home...more with broken down hair feet that no one wanted, all the seniors...Best Friends of Utah, I take all their old GSD's, that no one wants...so I do take and keep and fix all the disability dogs I can...yes I am full and I have 2 dog aggressive and people aggressive ones here right now..I would keep the puppy over them anyday, but I am trying to retrain them too so they don't have to be PTS...

So, I would have only put her down if she was so blind and couldn't move/get around...well that is not the case,,,as you can see in these photos she is doing terrific...the people wouldn't even name her so I named her Annie Oakley, Oakley for short...She can see upwards and didnt' run into the dishwasher door I had open she came to within a foot of it and then went around it...I turned around to get something and ran smack dab into my shin....OUCH!!!!! She is playing and running with my boyfriends Brittanys and all my dogs..she is doing great...

So, she is going to the vet for a second opinion...there is definately something wrong but she has adapted very well...and she will be adopted out, If anyone is interested, please go to my website and fill out an application... She will NOT be PTS...  www.montanagsdrescue.org there are more photos of her on there too...

She will need a special home such as fenced yard for sure, no stairs and that someone special to take care of her,,,she is a sweety...She has lots of drive and even tried to attack my Malinois, who sits patiently by and says, MOM, do I have to put up with this????
Thanks All, Steph





Looking for a bird she heard up in the tree....


Schutzhund trained already!!!!