Adopted Dogs · Happy Endings · Rainbow Bridge Memorials
Sponsored by:
Judith C.
Susannah Charleson
I picked up Ray yesterday from a local animal control (perhaps he was named by them after Ray Charles?). We are guessing his age at around 5 years old. Will see what the vet thinks when he goes for his wellness visit. 
I've been fostering now for 8 years and have seen dogs come from all sorts of places, some loving homes, some awful homes, some strays, some puppy mills. But this time, I'm at a loss for words. Somewhere in this world is a person that would take a family pet who becomes blind and dump him on the side of the road. I know it's just one bad apple in an orchard of beautiful apples (as we learned with Orphan Annie, there are many, many caring people in this world), but how anyone could do this is beyond my capability to understand. Animal control and I both agree that there is no way this dog just wandered away from home and became a stray. He was someone's pet. He is neutered, he is moderately overweight (hasn't been wandering and going hungry), so far has done his bathroom duties outside and is likely housetrained and is scared to death to move because he can't see. I've had foster dogs before that were blind from birth and they maneuver around beautifully because that is the only life they know. That's not Ray. This blind world seems new to him and scary. Please tell anyone you know that if they don't want their dog, to surrender the dog to rescue or a shelter. There is no reason to dump a dog on the side of the road. Ray could easily have walked in front of a car, or any number of bad things could have happened to him. I would like to thank animal control for contacting RAGOM so this boy could have a second chance.
When I arrived at animal control, they were trying to take Ray for a walk outside for his bathroom duties before putting him in my car. Problem is that he is scared to go through doorways not knowing what's on the other side. He drops to the ground and at his size (he's a tall boy), once he drops to the ground it's almost impossible to move him. They pulled and I pushed and we got him through the doorway and once his feet hit the snow, he stood up and walked just fine on leash next to you. So the challenge came once again when we got home. Thankfully, he did slowly feel his way down out of my SUV with me supporting him for the final jump to the ground. My initial plan had been to walk him around into the fenced in backyard and into the lower level so he would have access to the outside without steps, but the best laid plans always have a hitch. The gates are shut and frozen into the ground. So, into the main level we had to go. We have one step from our garage into our house and he came up that step, but the final step into the house, that crossing the doorway thing, had him back flat on the ground and unable to move. This time with no one to push from behind, I could only pull which seemed mean, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Finally, he was in and lying flat on the floor, but at least he was in. My five dogs all came up for sniffs which he didn't mind at all. And back outside I went with an ice pick and shovel to release the gate. Once that was done, Ray and I had to once again cross the door threshhold to go back out into the garage. We 
walked around to the backyard, he did his business ("good boy") and now we have to cross the door threshhold to get into the lower level. He flattens to the ground once again and once again I pull. During the evening we take two more trips outside and by the second trip, he's starting to learn that there is a flat surface on the other side of the door threshhold and he's not going to just fall into an abyss. Coming in last night, he actually stepped tentatively across the threshhold and in, and I was elated. Boy just needs to learn he's safe. This morning I got all bundled up to go out and took his leash and he walked out the backdoor no pulling, no flattening to the ground. YAY, major milestone in less than 24 hours.
Sometimes he walks slowly around the lower level, occasionally bumping into things. Sometimes he belly crawls as it's safer. Usually, he just lies quietly. Once he gets the lay of the land and knows where things are over the next few days, I think he'll be more confident. Outside, he's a riot. He wants to be right next to you but also acts like he wants to play, he jumps up and gets all excited and is so funny to watch. He takes treats very, very gently and so far has been nothing but gentle and loving. He enjoys being petted and having his ears scratched. I'm going to be spending lots of time on the internet trying to learn the best way to help blind dogs feel comfortable. I assume that will mean having things that make noise so he can hear their location. I'm open to whatever ideas are out there. If any of you that are reading this have knowledge of helping blind dogs learn their surroundings and learning to cope in their sightless world, I'd love to hear from you. Dog's hearing and smelling senses are so much more developed than their sight, and we just need to find the best way to train him to use his other senses so he can have a happy, comfortable rest of his life. I have an appointment with an eye specialist to find out if there is anything that can be done to help his eyesight.
I haven't decided yet whether we will attempt to come to the RAGOM event on Saturday. Will see how he does over the next few days as he gets to know us better.
Ray has had a couple of days to settle in and is much more comfortable. He now goes in and out the door very well. The first night I couldn't get him to eat or drink, now just a shake of the food bowl and his ears perk up. We went outside this morning and he was wandering around a bit while I was doing poop pickup duty. I came back up to the door after a while and watched. He stood at the back of the yard (we have about an acre fenced) with his head up listening. I called his name and he's already learned where some things in the yard are located. He walked back up to the house without me leading him, veering around the bushes and the deck without running into either and walked right up to the door and in. Amazing how quickly he can learn.
I cut out some mats and cleaned his ears. More grooming needed and a bath is a definite must for the weekend, but I didn't want to scare him trying to get him into the shower the first couple of days. Will do that this weekend now that he trusts me and feels more comfortable. He's about the easiest foster dog anyone could ever have. He lies quietly on his blanket until you come by to get him. I leave him uncrated for a full work day. We've still not had any house accidents and he doesn't get into a thing. He's a big boy and about as gentle as they come. He loves to have you sit on the floor next to him and scratch his head. He'll darn near climb into your lap. Next week -- trip to vet.
Many, many thanks to Ray's sponsor, Judith C.!
Geez, this guy just charms the daylights out of you. I don't know if I've ever had a foster dog that was quite this gentle. He LOVES to have his head and ears scratched and will quietly lie his head on your lap anytime you are available for pets. We've been keeping everything pretty low key for the past week. I have learned that part of the issue with him being scared, is my tile floor, it's too slippery. He walks very gingerly across it so as not to slip. Today's job is to go out shopping to find carpet remnants that we can put down to make him feel safer. He likes the flooring in my computer room better (which is also on the lower level). We haven't taken the plunge of teaching him the carpeted stairs yet, gonna wait and see what the eye specialist says first. Taking a shower went really well. He liked the tile in the bathroom much better, it's bumpier and not so slippery. And after sniffing out the shower stall, walked right in. I was a bit worried about how I was going to have to shove him in there, so was very happily surprised, when he just went right in on his own. He smells much better :-)
We are scheduled to visit the eye specialist on Wednesday the 18th. I've got all fingers, toes and dogs paws crossed here hoping that maybe he'll be a candidate for cataract surgery. If he is, I have an estimate of approximately $2,200, so will need help from his wonderful admirers, but am getting ahead of myself. We'll see what the good doctor has to say on Wednesday and let you all know. In the meantime, I'm not pushing him until I find out if his blindness is permanent. If permanent, then we'll start going places, like the RAGOM events, etc. but for now, we're just waiting to see what we learn for diagnosis and whether or not surgery is an option.
Last night we watched movies and ate popcorn, which he completely enjoyed. He quietly waits his turn. He does anything quietly, he's such a sweetheart. I know I'm repeating myself, but man, he's just the gentlest soul. I cut out a ton of huge mats off his backend and he must feel better after having those off and clean and smelling so nice. I still can't imagine how he ended up where he did. Anyone that lost a dog like this would be shouting from the airwaves trying to find him and the idea of dumping him is just beyond imagination. Regardless, he's safe now and we're enjoying having him staying with us.
A sincere thank you to his sponsors. Will write more after Wednesday's vet visit.
Ray and I visited with the eye specialist today. Ray has Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and is not a candidate for cataract surgery. His evaluation states that "he has no pain or discomfort and is probably 6 - 7 years of age." PRA is a congenital disorder (inherited from two parents each with the recessive gene). His examination did show that he may see some light and dark in his right eye.
I also received a handout regarding blindness in pets from the vet's office and since I always think these updates are an excellent avenue to share what I'm learning with the public, I think a couple of sentences worth repeating here are as follows:
"Surprisingly, the eyes of dogs produce only very crude vision in comparison with our own eyes."Basically, with just a little training of the layout of the home and yard, Ray can live a perfectly normal dog's life. I was a bit worried this morning about how I was going to get him to the vet's office, thinking that if he lied down flat there was no way I was going to be able to pick him up. Instead, he walked up the stairs (one at a time, sniffing each one), through the kitchen, into the garage and climbed up into the car. Good boy!!! He then had to take a leap of faith that there was ground beneath him when he climbed back out, but he did it. At the vet's office, he had to check out the female boxer. He is great with all animals and people -- charmed the vet and the vet assistants. And when we went home, same thing, climbed into the car and climbed back out. It's time to start expanding his horizons, going places, doing things and letting him be a dog.
"Because dogs do not have critical vision like people, they are less dependent on vision compared with people. They utilize their other senses better than people. Most pet owners know very well that their dog senses a world of smell and hearing that we can only begin to perceive. Because of this, the loss of vision in dogs is less traumatic compared to the loss of vision in people."
"It is very important for blind pets to be maintained in a fenced yard. They cannot see cars coming and must be kept out of the road."
"Memory is used to negotiate the house." (Don't move the furniture)
"Many clients find working with a blind dog (becoming a seeing eye person) a very rewarding experience for themselves and their children."
"Fitness is important for people and animals. Blind dogs can be walked on leash or run if you or a family member is a runner."
I now have a book recommended by the eye specialist called, "Living With Blind Dogs". I'll be reading that over the next few days, implementing some of the ideas and sharing what we learn with you all. Ray is ready to find his forever home. No reason to be memorizing my house, he should be memorizing yours instead. He is a very gentle, loving boy that will make an excellent furry friend for some lucky family. Plus being about the easiest dog in the world to own. And, I agree with the above statement, being his seeing eye person will be very rewarding.
Ray is ready to make his debut and will be greeting visitors at the Plymouth PetSmart on Saturday. He will be thrilled to get out of the house.
Ray visited with the vet on Saturday and got his microchip implanted so he can never again be a stray without a home. He does have minor ear infections so we have some medication and they should clear up easily. From the vet's office, we went to the RAGOM event at PetSmart where true to his personality, he charmed everyone. He stands next to you and presses his head into your legs or your lap like he's giving you a hug and you melt. He is such a love. Many people came up to meet him as they had read his story. None had the required fence that he needs so that he can't wander unsafely, but many said, if they did, they'd take him home with them. Most common comment was, "look at the size of those feet!" I'll admit, he does have big feet. He weighed in at the vet at 85 pounds which is close to his ideal weight.
Ray was outside on Saturday with my husband and the neighbor's children were outside in their yard. He heard their voices and went running over to the fence. If he could climb it to get to the kids, I think he would. He really enjoys people of all ages and is safe with people of all ages. We put some carpet pieces down and velcroed them to the floor so they can't move around with the intention that Ray will be better able to navigate the flooring if it stays static. He's a wonderful dog that will be someone's new best friend. In the meantime, we thoroughly enjoy having him with us.
I don't think Ray is too impressed with the puppies (Belle, Kelli and Suki) being here. They jump up at his nose and surprise him. He's been very gentlemanly about it, and he has barked at them a couple of times to tell them to stop. Sometimes they are all in his way when he's going in or out the door and he just backs off until they get out of the way. But, I think he'll be happy when they find their forever homes and our home gets back to normal. Or, if he found his forever home, he'd be thrilled. Ray so enjoyed the RAGOM event last weekend, that he will be attending the one in Eden Prairie this weekend. Come by and get a hug.
Sorry for the delay in updating Ray. We've been sort of busy with the puppies here. I absolutely had to take a picture this morning of Kelli cuddled up with Ray. It was too cute to miss. He is such a super nice dog.
Ray attended the RAGOM event at PetSmart a week ago. As always, everyone fell in love with him and he loves the attention.
He has started following us around the house and when we go upstairs, he does too. He very confidently walks upstairs now. He hasn't wanted to tackle going back down however, so at the moment, we are still walking out the garage and back around to the backyard to get him back downstairs. Happily the weather has warmed up and this is a much nicer little walk.
He is sleeping upstairs in the bedroom now, he just follows us right up and into the bedroom where he sleeps quietly until time to get up.
He such an easy boy to foster. Loves his pets, his walks, and this morning the neighbor was out and he was so excited, he stood up, put his paws up on the fence and wiggled a greeting. He'd love a home where he could go for walks and meet people and be petted.
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We learned this weekend that while Ray may not be able to see (other than possibly some shadows out of one eye), there's not a thing wrong with his nose. He went for an overnight visit to one of our other foster homes last night. He did quite well maneuvering the house and the yard. But he did way too well at being interested in the bunny and the cat. The bunny had his interest all night long. While temporary foster mom wanted a night of cuddling with the big goofball, what she got was an evening of him staring (either shadows or with his nose) at the bunny cage. He would bring himself away from the bunny cage when he heard the food being scooped in the morning, or if the cat made an appearance. The cat was real interesting for him too. But she'd jump up on the counter and he couldn't quite figure out what happened to her, so back to the bunny who stayed put in the cage. I suggested to temporary foster mom that she put up a babygate and keep him out of the room with the rabbit, so she could have some "Ray time". To which she replied, she had tried that, but a couple of bats with his paw and he had the babygate knocked over. He is a big boy and I guess has a mind of his own.
After a day at the RAGOM event at PetSmart where he again hugged all the people by leaning his head right into you, he's back home relaxing. Wonderful news is that this week, he's mastered going down the stairs. The first few times, we had to seriously encourage him. Next few times, just put a leash on him and walk down the steps one step at a time to make sure he didn't go too fast, or slip at the bottom. Tonight, he slowly walked down all on his own. If you've been holding off on adopting him because your home has stairs, no problem for this boy anymore, he can go anywhere now.
Ray is ready to find his forever home. Ray's forever home can be just about any home, except maybe no cat or bunny rabbit would be a good idea. I doubt very much that if he ever did catch a rabbit or bunny (which I don't think he could do), he likely wouldn't hurt it, but he is apparently very interested and if you want him to give you any attention, then he probably shouldn't share a home with a cat or rabbit. A fenced in yard is a must. He's fantastic with all people (I would trust him with kids) and all dogs. He loves going for walks, in fact likes to lead us down the street. I ask him, "Ray, how do you know where we are going?" Not being able to see doesn't seem to interfere with him enjoying going for walks. Get out the leash and he's ready to go.
Ray is the lucky recipient of a second sponsor! He'd love to press his head up against you both and give his sponsors a great big hug. Of course, he likes to be petted by you at the same time. Thank you so much for sponsoring Ray.
Saturday my husband came home with a can of paint and decided it was time to paint the lower level, which means moving furniture. We had Ray stay upstairs for most of the weekend so as not to confuse him with the furniture out of place. However, to go outside, he walks down the stairs and out the door. On the way back in, he bumped up against the wall, so is now sporting some light lavender fur on his ear, side and tail.
Ray went with me Sunday to visit another RAGOM volunteer that has some dog savvy cats. We wanted to see how he would do with just cats in the home and no bunny. He is curious about the cats, but very gentle and I think his curiosity would lessen as he got used to the cats being in the house. He put his nose up to the cat to sniff her. She didn't like his nose so close to her, so she hissed and batted him on the nose. Curious, he tried again. Again, she hissed and batted him on the nose. He dropped to the floor, looking somewhat perplexed. He did wander around the home, I think looking for the cats, or could have just been curious about the home. I think he'd get used to the cats being in the home after a few weeks.
We've been doing a little more experimenting with Ray and cats to determine if he should have cats in his forever home or not. The final decision is no cats. While I highly doubt that he would hurt a cat, if in fact he could ever catch one which I doubt, the fact remains that he does become very preoccupied with them, wonders where they are, and seems to get frustrated that he can't find them. He is able to relax much better in a home with no cats.
We've learned a little more about Ray this week. We've learned that he loves to go running with you, so if you are a jogger or a hiker, he'd love to join you. However, you don't have to be a jogger to adopt him, he also loves his walks. He is so funny because he likes to lead and I keep asking him how he knows where we are going, but that doesn't seem to bother him at all. He walks very nicely on flat collar or Gentle Leader. I tend to use a Gentle Leader as it helps me to guide him. The bad news is that we've also learned that if given a rawhide or bone, he will guard it, and is very serious about guarding it. I've not seen this behavior before as I don't normally give my dogs rawhides. Ray is not at all bothered if you move his food bowl, take away stuffed toys or tennis balls. The other day he had gotten a paper towel out of the garbage (is there a dog in the world that doesn't do this?) and I was able to move him over and take the paper towel with absolutely no comment from Ray. However, if he has a treasured rawhide/bone, he will growl to warn you away from it. The bad news is he guards and growls. The good news is he growls to tell you to back off vs. going straight for the bite. When he growls, you listen. He is very serious about his growl and if you don't listen, he will escalate. Frankly, the best thing is for him to simply never have rawhides or bones to guard. Or, you give it to him and leave him alone until he is finished with it. Without rawhides or bones, he is his normal sweet self. Because of this guarding behavior, Ray cannot go to a home with children under the age of 12, which is really too bad as he loves kids.
He is completely comfortable with our stairs now, goes up and down, walks around the house with no issues. He visited with some people over the weekend and learned their home and furniture layout very quickly. He's a gentle, loving boy, as long as he doesn't have a rawhide or a bone. Ray will be visiting the RAGOM PetCo event in Brooklyn Park this Saturday. Stop by and get your hug.
Ray continues to be his sweet, wonderful self. The other night he proved to us once again that his nose works very well. There were a couple of brauts that my husband left on the counter. Ray took one, don't know if he decided my husband wasn't the best grill cook or not, he ate the one, but didn't go back for the second.
We have had a rescued shiba inu at our home for the past week and Ray does well with her. He has absolutely no problems that we've seen with any dogs and we have lots of dogs. His only real issue is that if he has a bone, he is going to keep it until he wants to give it up. But since he is blind, it is easy to manage our house and he simply doesn't get those type of items unless I want him to have one.
He is totally housetrained, we've not had one accident. He loves his walks. He loves to be petted. He doesn't get on the furniture. Sleeps wherever you want him to. He doesn't get into any trouble when no one is home and he doesn't chew on inappropriate items. He's very, very easy to have in your home and is patiently awaiting a forever home to call his own.
Oh dear, it appears I haven't updated for a while. Bad foster mom. Time does just go by. I can't quite believe that Ray is still here with us and hasn't yet found his forever home. He's such an easy dog to have around and such a love. Very happy with his walks and occasional pets. We've had a few different dogs over for visits over the past few weeks and he gets along very well with all dogs. He also loves company. Any new people and he's right there to meet and greet and give his infamous hugs. Being blind isn't really a handicap, it just makes him so much easier to live with. He's not nearly the work of a sighted dog and yet gives the unconditional love that everyone is wanting in a furry friend. If you are looking for a big lover and hugger, come and meet Ray.
I am so happy for Ray and to announce that he has found a forever home that is absolutely perfect for him! This couple has a one-story carpeted home, so no more stairs or slippery floors. They walk multiple times daily, which he loves. There are no cats or bunnies in his home. The best part are the people - a wonderful, dog-loving, dog-savvy couple that will take their dog everywhere with them. He will be in heaven with them. Ray and I want to thank his sponsors for making it possible for him to have a new start on a very happy life. Also, a thank you to animal control for contacting RAGOM when they found him on the streets!
| From Murphy's (fka Ray) forever family... Murphy left us way too soon. In the time we had with him, he taught me about adversity. Nothing stopped him, there was nothing he could not overcome, and he did overcome obstacles. I have many Murphy memories, like the first time we took him fishing, he loved when we caught fish and put it on the floor of the boat while it flopped around by his feet. When we came home from work how he would howl with excitement. I will never be able to watch Sportscenter without thinking of him. Every morning while my wife took her shower my buddy and I would snuggle and watch Sportscenter and have our coffee. Murphy may be gone, but he will never leave our hearts. I can take comfort in knowing when I too come to that bridge my buddy will be there waiting for me. Love and miss you Murphy, your forever family, Steve & Barb |