Buddy - Adopted

Name: Buddy

Age: 16 months

Breed: Beagle

Sex: Male (altered)

Location:  Jackson, TN area

Vet Info: Buddy is confirmed neutered and up to date on his rabies vaccine.  His next rabies vaccine is due in October, 2014.  His caregiver administered his other vaccines.  Buddy weighs about 50 pounds.

Owner Info: Buddy was saved from a local shelter right before he was to be euthanized.  His caregiver brought him home and says he has such a loving and sweet personality!  She knows his forever family is out there somewhere. Buddy is an indoor dog who is crated, he is housebroken and leash trained.  He also comes when he is called!  Buddy is a friendly fellow, and he's good with people of all ages and both male and female dogs and cats.  He currently lives with two other dogs and three cats!  Buddy is not possessive of toys, treats, or food, and has never bitten or snapped.  His caregiver writes, "This dog has showed absolutely no aggression toward any animal or person no matter what the circumstance. He is the most non-aggressive, laid back dog I have ever gotten to know. He is not possessive over his food or his toys or anything. He doesn't even show fear when I accidentally startle him when he's asleep or I sneak up on him."   She says that Buddy has adapted amazingly well.  "Buddy adapts to all situations with such gusto and inspiration. No matter if it's learning to ride in the car, visiting the kids I work with in a noisy chaotic environment or learning to walk a new set of steps. He absolutely looks forward to every new experience and is so brave about everything he encounters. It's amazing to watch him".  His caregiver also notes that Buddy is completely blind.  He was examined at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and they concluded, "Both the retinas in each eye are completely detached and the nerves are detached and dead."  He doesn't have obvious trauma, so it's likely that he was born this way.  They also noted that "he would never need any surgeries or additional medical treatment outside of injuries because of his condition". His caregiver wanted us to know how special Buddy is.  "This is an exceptionally sweet and lovable dog. He has been an absolute inspiration to me since I've had him watching how brave he is as he navigates his dark world. He will follow me around my house from room to room and never let me get over 10 feet away. I walk him on a leash twice a day and you wouldn't think for a second he was blind to see him walking. He has a lot of confidence in himself. He is a beautiful dog with striking colors. It really means a lot to me that I find him the perfect home for his needs and personality."

Pitch Black - In BDRA Foster Care

Name: Pitch Black

Age: 7 weeks

Sex: Female (not altered)

Breed: 1/2 Catahoula, 1/4 Dane?, 1/4 Pyrenees?

Location: Tulsa, OK area 

Vet Info: Her owner brought her to OSU, and he writes,"the OSU vet hospital said that her lens is connected to the cornea from birth and is not operable. She may one day be able to obtain a little peripheral vision depending on how the fluid shapes the lens according to the vet."  It is also possible that she may develop glaucoma as she gets older.  She is not current on vaccinations and her owner writes that he does his own shots.  

Owner Info: Born 12/11/13. Pitch Black is an adorable little girl who was born 12/11/13.  Her owner is a college student who is very much hoping for rescue as he is not able to care for her or provide an adequate home.  The breeding was not planned and he's found homes for all of the other puppies.  He's never had a blind puppy and he doesn't want to have to bring her to the shelter. He's not able to keep her for long. Her owner writes, "She was the smallest pup in the litter. She is still half the size of the other puppies but she seems healthy. The OSU vet hospital did not find anything else wrong with her during the checkup before testing her eyes." Pitch Black is an outdoor dog with a fenced yard.  Her owner checked on the form that she is a nervous puppy, and wrote, "She had a hard time at first and would just back up and whine until someone touched her or picked her up. She is now 6 1/2 weeks old and will follow you as long as she hears your foot steps or make noise within her ear range."  She is not possessive of toys, treats, or food, and has never bitten or snapped, "other than puppy play".  

Angie - Adopted

Name: Angie

Breed: Terrier Mix

Age: Estimated 7-8 years

Sex: Female (appears to have spay scar)

Location: Miami, FL

Vet Info: The good samaritan has paid for Angie's vaccines, and she was given one-year rabies, bordetella, and da2pp vaccines today (1/31/14).  She was also given the 4dx test and this was negative.  Angie appears to have a spay scar and is completely blind.  She has some hair missing from her back end and they believe this is from laying on concrete.  She does not have fleas.  Angie did not go to the bathroom for the first few days, but is now going regularly and eating well.  The vet's office commented on what a very sweet and gentle girl she is!!  They said children have hugged her with no issues, and she really wants to be a lap dog.  The kennel worker said at first Angie will put her head in your lap, and if you're OK with that, she'll try to climb all the way into your lap!  Angie weighs about 25 pounds. 

Owner Info: Angie is a beautiful and very sweet little girl who was found with a rope tied around her neck at a very busy Miami intersection.  She was hungry, thirsty, and disoriented.  A good samaritan took her to the vet and has been paying for Angie to board, but she is not able to do this for much longer.  The good samaritan put up signs but has been unable to find Angie's owners.  Angie appears to be housebroken and is leash trained.  She is very sweet and gets along well with people of all ages and other dogs and cats.  She didn't even bother a rabbit at the vet's office!   Angie is not possessive of toys, treats, or food and has never shown any aggression.  She likes to be near people. Angie's good samaritan writes, "she is just a scared little dog. she is around other animals and people at the vets and can not be nicer".

Reilly - At Shelter

Name: Reilly

Age: 10 years

Breed: Retriever/Golden mix

Sex: Female (altered)

Location: Green Bay, WI area

Vet Info: Reilly is confirmed spayed.  She is next due for her rabies and distemper vaccines on 5/15/16, and her lyme vaccine on 5/15/14.  She is heartworm negative.  Her vet's office commented on what a good dog she is and said she's very sweet!  Reilly weighs about 55 pounds.

Owner Info: DOB 7/16/03. Reilly is a beautiful and gentle girl whose owner had to move into assisted living and is no longer able to care for her.  They spoke with their local humane society who did not want to take Reilly, and so now she is living with the owner's son.  They have her listed at work and a few other places, but have not yet had any luck in finding Reilly a new home. They have had Reilly for about three years and got her when they answered an ad on Craigslist.  Her owner writes that she's blind due to retinal atrophy and cataracts and except for her sight, she is in good health. Reilly is an indoor dog with run of the house, she is housebroken and leash trained.  She is good with people of all ages, both male and female dogs, and cats, and currently lives with another dog and two cats.  She is not possessive of toys, treats, or food, and has never shown any aggression.  They write that she's very passive and easy to take care of!

Update 2/12/2014: Riley's owners had contacted a shelter several hours away from them that does not euthanize for time or space, and Riley has been able to find a spot there.  We have spoken with the shelter a few times, and they are wonderful and very caring.  Riley is not in danger of being euthanized, but of course, they'd like her out of the shelter as soon as possible so that she can go back to living in a home.  They're recommending a home without other animals or children.  

Schultz - Adopted!

Name: Schultz

Age: 5 years
Sex: Male (altered)
Breed: Dachshund

Location: Massillion, OH

Vet Info: Schultz is confirmed neutered.  He is also up-to-date with his inoculations.  He tested negative for heartworm.

Owner Info: Schultz is a brown and white Dachshund who has been with his family since puppyhood.  He weighs approximately 18 lbs and has recently lost his sight.  The owner has two small children and Schultz seems to be unsure of what is happening to him and “seems sad”. Schultz is not housebroken but is leash trained, good with all adults and older children. The owner has written the following: “Our dog has become too much for me to care for with two small children. Since he lost his sight completely, he has been going to the bathroom all over our kitchen (where he must be gated) and has snapped when startled or unsure of what's happening. He just seems sad, I want him to be with someone who can work with him and be with him. I worry about the girls hurting him, because they trip over him all the time, and I worry about him snapping at the girls if he gets cornered or they fall on him. I also can't always get to his accidents before the girls do, and I CAN'T have that”. The owner reported that “His eyes are both permanently fully dilated, and the membrane protecting his eye ball is gone. His eyes are sensitive, and he squints a lot. He is totally blind”. He is otherwise in good health.

Update 4/3/14: Schultz was originally posted at the end of January. We posted him as safe in mid-March. Unfortunately, we've just received this email from his owners, and he is no longer safe (he is urgent):

"Earlier this week, my older daughter fell on him - by mistake - and he bit her face. It scared her more than anything. She didn't need to go to the doctor, and it didn't really bleed. But it left a big red slash across her nose. We have decided that if we can't find him a home within the next couple of weeks, we will have to put him to sleep. He can't be biting the kids. He also can't be happy just sitting alone in the kitchen. I would GREATLY GREATLY GREATLY appreciate ANYTHING you can do to find him somewhere. I know he's a good dog. He's just needs a little rehabilitation, and no little kids". 

Gracie - Adopted

Name: Gracie

Age: 9 years

Breed: Cocker Spaniel

Sex: Female (altered)

Location: About two hours south of Little Rock, AR

Vet Info: Gracie is confirmed spayed and up to date on vaccines. Her next rabies vaccine is due 4/28/14. On 4/29/13, she also received the distemper and kennel cough vaccines. She is heartworm negative and a fecal in April was also negative. They write that Gracie "became heartworm positive on preventions a year or so ago, was treated with Immiticide and later tested negative." Gracie weighs about 30 pounds. 

Owner Info: Gracie is a sweet and beautiful girl whose owner took a bad fall last month and is currently in rehab. When released she will not be able to return home and the apartment she is going to will not allow dogs. A vet tech from the office where Gracie is a client is trying very hard to help Gracie's owner find a new home or rescue for sweet Gracie, and she writes, "Her situation has touched me and I'm trying to help her find placement for this dog. Both for the dog's sake and so the owner knows she's safe. Our local pound is not a place I'd like to see any dog go to, let alone an older, vision impaired dog. "  Gracie is currently being cared for by neighbors. Gracie's owner has had her since she was about 8 months old.  Gracie is an indoor dog with run of the house, she is housebroken and leash trained.  She has never lived with men or kids, but her vet and groomer are both men. She's lived with other female dogs and gotten along well with them all, and lived with an older male dog when she was first adopted.  Gracie can sometimes be possessive with food or treats, but they say she has never been aggressive about it, and has never bitten or snapped.  She does very well with the people coming in to the house to take care of her.  Gracie's owner is uncertain as to the cause of Gracie's blindness, but believes it may be dry eye.  There is no mention in her vet records as to the cause of her blindness.

Sophia - Adopted

Name: Sophia

Breed: Weimaraner

Sex: Female (altered)

Age: 8 years

Location: Charlotte, NC

Vet Info: Sophia is confirmed spayed and is up to date on vaccines.  She is heartworm negative and is on heartworm preventative.  She has "blindness secondary to diabetes" and receives 25 units of insulin twice daily.  Her vet said she's a fantastic dog!  

Owner Info: Sophia is a beautiful and very sweet girl whose owners are moving to a home that doesn't allow pets.  They are moving by the end of February.  They have tried other rescues and friends but have not yet had any luck in finding Sophia a new home.  They got Sophia from a breeder who is no longer in the area and have had Sophia since she was a puppy.  Her owner writes she has "one eye dead and one eye filmed over".  Sophia is an outdoor dog with a fenced yard, she is housebroken and leashed trained.  Sophia is a smart girl!  She knows the commands sit, lay down, and give me paw.  She is good with people of all ages, other dogs and cats, and has never shown any aggression.  She is not possessive of toys, treats, or food.  Her owners say, "she is the sweetest most lovable dog in the world!"