Blind Joey

We wanted to do everything we could to restore Joey's vision. We thought that would be the best gift we could ever give him. And so, with hopeful hearts and the best of intentions, we went to see an opthalmologist at VEC last week. The specialist examined Joey, ran some tests, and we waited for her conclusions.

It was not as we hoped. Joey's eyes show no reaction to light. There is no doubt that he is completely blind. He's not a good candidate for restorative surgery, unfortunately. In fact, the pressure readings in both eyes are somewhat high which means he's in a fair bit of discomfort. Our options were limited. We could either administer eye drops daily for the rest of his life to stabilize the pressure readings, or we could consider something our humanity finds hard to accept. We could remove the eyes and thus, remove any pain they're causing. There would also be no more risk of him rupturing one or both of his eyes from bumping into something sharp. Joey walks with such incredible confidence that he is prone to bumping into things when he's on the scent of something exciting. Our guess is Joey has been blind for some time as he has become so well adjusted to it.

On the way home that day, Joey taught us something we really needed to learn. He crawled into my lap suddenly, tail wagging, happy to be going back to his foster home. Happy not to have anybody poking at his eyes anymore. Happy.

Joey just wants to be loved. That's all. That's the greatest gift we could ever give him.

Tomorrow, Joey will have his surgery and he will no longer feel any pain from those eyes. And he'll be just as beautiful.

When Joey recovers from surgery, we will be searching for his Adopter. Someone who will see just how beautiful and happy Joey is…just the way he is.

His surgery is estimated at $600. It's not nearly as much as many others we've incurred in the last couple months, but if we were to receive enough donations to cover his surgery, I assure you it will help and we'll be very grateful. Especially since every donation we receive through our Canada Helps On-Line Giving Page in the month of June, increases our chances at winning $10,000 for the Canada Helps Great Canadian Giving Challenge. Can you imagine if we won that prize? Oh, the beagles we could save…

If you missed supporting our Scavenger Hunt at WOOFSTOCK or our Beagle Wiggle Walkathon at SLOBBERFEST, please consider making a June donation for Joey and for our chance to win this grand prize!

Just click on the Canada Helps Giving Page link below! We've added a "Blind Joey" donation designation on our page!

***But before you go, please take a moment to read a beautiful tribute to Joey from his foster mom - Diane.

Joey was found back in April on a First Nations reserve north of Peterborough. He was completely blind and eating garbage to survive. No one claimed him so the local animal catcher was planning to shoot him. A caring individual stepped in before it was too late and called Big on Beagles Rescue for help. Soon after, I became a foster parent for BOB.

Joey came to me at the beginning of June. Having a blind dog of my own, and after seeing this boy’s sweet face, I felt compelled to foster him while he receives his veterinary care and to work with him so he can learn what it is to be a pet and how it feels to be loved. Within a couple of days, Joey learned to sit and to walk on a leash (with a bit of pulling because, you know, that beagle nose ….)

Joey is a very sweet, very loving dog who wants nothing more than to be loved in return. His tail does not stop wagging. He is learning how to play with toys, but his favorite thing in the world is his soft blanket which he carries around like Linus and uses as his travelling bed. He loves the safety and comfort of his crate. He is completely housebroken. He is very, very sweet with my cat and gets along with most dogs. Because my dog and Joey are both blind, they bump into each other and get aggravated by each other so there are some issues in that regard as he gets startled when he's sleeping. I have no doubt Joey will do quite well in a home with a sighted dog and he is 100% amazing with cats.

Joey has adjusted quite well to his blindness. He is not fearful and his other senses have become quite acute. He can sense when a tree is in his way and he will step aside to avoid it. He really loves to be in the presence of people. He greets everyone with a waggy tail and a little bum wiggle; women, men and children alike. Joey deserves the best possible home since the beginning of his life was not such a happy one. He would be a wonderful addition to any family and I will miss him terribly when he finds his forever home.

May 4, 2016 eblast:

Our hearts go out to every beagle we rescue.

They always receive an outpouring of sympathy from us for all they've been through, whether we know their full story or not.

That sympathy comes in the form of cuddles and kisses and softspoken words whispered in their ears, with a promise for a much brighter future.

But when we got the call about Blind Joey at the end of last week, our hearts felt broken.

We wonder how we can offer the same to him.

Blind Joey was found abandoned and wandering aimlessly in a First Nations reserve north of Peterborough.

It took time to catch him but he was finally cornered by the local dog catcher.

Here's where our hearts started to break.

When nobody claimed the little blind beagle, the decision was made to euthanize him but not in the way we would expect.

Much easier to simply shoot unwanted pets.

But before that could happen to Joey, an animal lover just like us saved him.

Her heart was in the right place. Because of her, he is still alive. But his future is so uncertain.

His rescuer doesn't have the financial means to keep him.

He needs to see a veterinarian. He needs good nutritious food. He needs a bright and happy future.

We want to give Blind Joey that bright and happy future.

But we need to lead with our heads. We know our hearts will follow.

We need to secure the right foster home first. Someone local enough to us here in the Beaches, Toronto as he will need vetting.

As of now, we don't know the cause for his blindness. Perhaps he will need to visit with a specialist. Perhaps there is hope for regaining his vision.

But we won't know that until we get him home to us.

He needs someone experienced with blind dogs.

He needs someone who can provide him with a quieter home and perhaps only one other dog.

One that will not overwhelm him. One that will help lead the way.

He needs someone with a patient heart. Joey is deathly afraid of most men.

He needs time. He needs unconditional love, more than words can say.

He needs a sense of belonging.

He needs HOME.

A lasting and loving HOME.

If you think you could be Joey's key to a bright and happy future, let us know.

We're waiting for you.