Time for more giving!
As a reminder, each month, we will do a giveaway that celebrates the unique nature of our furry friends. There will be monthly categories, so if you have a dog that falls into that one, you can nominate them to win. If your dog does not fit into this month’s category, do not fret, we have a pretty all-encompassing list for the entire year – we eventually got you covered!
This month, a category near and dear to our googly-eyed, cone-wearing, Jake and to our angel buddy, Rufus (from Our Waldo Bungie) (And Jen at Sirius has a one eyer!!!)…
Dog’s who are visually challenged — one eye, no eyes, blind, limited vision — let’s celebrate you!
Here is how it works…
This goes beyond just a giveaway (but yes, there is of course some loot!). Our goal is to remind each other that we are all in this crazy life together. That through these giveaways, we can all bring empathy into play. As you share stories of your visually challenged dogs, read the stories of others. You may nod, and realize you are not alone. You can message others and share your experiences and advice. Friendships will form. Support can be shared. Joy will be spread!
Share your visually challenged dog (your dog’s name, a photo. and the story about their vision) on either our Facebook page containing this post, on Sirius Republic’s Facebook page when they share this post. If you are not of the Facebook world, you can email your info to ohmelvinyojake@gmail.com. You can also post the info below in the comments, although you probably can’t share a photo on here (and that’s ok). No matter how you submit your info, you will be entered to win.
READ ALONG AS OTHERS POST. DON’T FORGET TO REACH OUT.
We will pick one female and one male winner at the end of September!
Next month, it will be a new category!
Our dear departed red heeler, Pica, lost her vision at seven, about three years before she passed. We were pretty upset at first, till our vet ophthalmologist pointed out that it didn’t distress Pica at all; as far as she knew, the sun just didn’t come up one morning. We quickly learned how to be her seeing eye guides, and continued training, hiking, and backpacking with her. Nothing fazed her, and we hiked many miles both on-leash and off (she was like Velcro, and it was often easier for her to find her footing without leash ‘help’). We used voice cues: “up” (step up), “step” (step down), “this way” where necessary. Our relationship deepened as we learned to work even more closely as a team.
It taught me a huge amount about how resilient dogs are, and how brave in the face of what we think of as adversity. It was a remarkable experience which I am glad I had a chance to share with her.
I love this story. I love that she had you and you became her guidance (in a new way) and I love that she taught you that some things are ok, even when her humans fear it’s not. I honestly feel that Melvin taught me so much more than I ever taught him. The jury is still out on Jake! Thank you for sharing the story of your Pica!