Woman Rescues Anxious, Blind Shelter Dog And Teaches Him How To Be A “Normal” Dog
Always follow your heart…
Kristy Benjamin and her husband were looking to rescue a dog in the San Francisco area and came across a video of a blind shelter dog spinning in circles. Kristy felt bad for the dog and knew the stressful shelter environment was not a good place for the sensitive boy. Something inside her told her to go meet him, so the couple drove over an hour to Tracy Animal Shelter.
Kristy shared with us what happened the first time she met the German shepherd puppy named Fox. “They brought him into the room with toys and stuff, and he had 0 interest in me. He just wanted to eat the toys, but he was so interesting. I don’t know, I just like loved him right away – even though he didn’t care about me at first.”
They adopted Fox and took him home the following day after he was neutered. Fox immediately bonded with his new family who gave him the second chance he deserved. However, Otis – the senior dog in the home- was not a fan, at first. While they knew it was going to take some adjusting and patience, they didn’t realize the challenge they were about to face.
The rambunctious puppy entered his new home and immediately destroyed the living room. Fox proceeded to spin in circles, never relaxed enough to take a nap, and destroyed every bed he was offered. There were a lot of sleepless nights – but it was worth it.
The couple decided to give Fox his own room to get acclimated and a “safe” spot and then slowly introduced him to the rest of the house. He was starting to figure out the layout of the home but was still nervous and unable to relax.
Fox’s eyes appear normal except that they move independently. Although they are not cloudy, his parents confirm he cannot see because he constantly bumps into things.
They decided to reach out to a dog trainer for help who told them that the sweet boy may have neurological issues.
A neurologist confirmed that Fox’s brain had not fully developed, and he would always be a special needs dog. He was put on medication to help his anxiety and his parents were told his condition should not progress.
“I’m sure we’ll get some more surprises along the way of like what his development issues are, but I take it one day at a time with that,” Kristy said.
The couple loves Fox just the way he is and were relieved to see the medication was helping him relax. Once he figured out how great naps were, he made himself at home on the couch.
Fox has his own Instagram page and tons of followers that are joining him on all his adventures. In a post about his condition, which the vet believes he was born with, he wrote, “wish us luck on this journey even though my family still thinks they are the lucky ones to have found me and take care of me!”
Kristy shares that Fox is a fast learner and already walks well on a leash. He loves to sniff around and even marks trees. He is still getting used to different sounds, but he has found his “happy place” – the beach, or anything involving water.
“He loves to eat the waves and he will knock anything with water over – it is like he doesn’t want water to be contained,” explained his mom.
The energetic pup loves water, toys, and meeting new people. “He loves people, he loves new voices.” His mom said that as soon as he hears a voice he must go investigate. He walks up and sniffs their face, which is his way of greeting someone.
As you can imagine, he is a popular dog on walks, and everyone wants to stop and pet him. He is friendly and who could resist those fluffy, big ears?!
He has mastered “Tongue Out Tuesday”, which is every day for him, and loves to go on road trips as long as his toys come along too.
Otis is finally coming around too, now that Fox has calmed down some. Kristy is thrilled to have Fox and said, “Yeah, he’s just so cool. He’s my best guy.”
She hopes that other people will consider adopting special needs and senior pets. “These awesome dogs get looked over just because they might need a little extra work up front or a little bit of a different schedule than another dog.”
Her advice is to put in the extra work, and you could end up with a “cool, sleepy guy” like Fox who will love you unconditionally.
Be sure to follow Fox on Instagram and watch him navigate through life. Otis is also on Instagram, and you should follow her too! Adopt don’t shop!
Learn more about Fox in the video below and don’t forget to share!
