Success Stories

Marley

Update

Marley got his Muffin’s Halo.

Backstory

“Two little sibling pups stole my heart in 2007. Marley, the male and his sister Maggie.

Four years ago, Marley was diagnosed with a Canine type of Luis. He had to be put on high doses of Prednisone to help to attack his disease. Unfortunately, one of the side effects is blindness. As of this year, he is considered 100% blind.

I am praying for a Halo to be donated to him. He is a Merry Little Cocker, but has lost confidence in his travels. He often hits his eyes on door frames and helps. I just break out in tears for him.

I had begun to save for the Halo,and at the end of October, I was rushed to the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure. My heart meds are extremely expensive and living on Disability does not allow me any extra money at this time. I will continue to pray for a donor and promise to give back when things calm down.

Thank you in advance for considering my baby boy.”
Katie L.

Reagan

Update

“Reagan got his Muffin’s Halo! Thank you Angels ♡”

Joleen L.

Backstory

“I am writing for some help and guidance. Please allow me to share our story. My dog Reagan is a puppy mill survivor. I rescued him at 6 weeks old. Was told he was a Rat Terrier, but ended being a Yorkiepoo as far as I can tell. He was the one of a litter of four that lived.
So his bloodline is not pure.

Moving forward he is now 7 years old and been thru a lot. From anger issues to allergies, ear infections, toxic liver disease, to now being diagnosed with diabetes and only has 10% eye sight and was told he will be blind in a short amount of time.

I am just devastated. This poor little dog has endured his share of bad luck from in breeding to constant health issues. This latest double whammy of diabetes and losing his sight is so stressful for him.

I came upon your site while searching for answers and ways to make this transition for him a better experience.

My intent is to make his life as good as it can be with what he is dealing with. I can already see his stress and depression showing. Any guidance and assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated as I am financially challenged.
Thank you so much for your time in Reading Reagan’s story.”
Sincerely,
Joleen L.

Hamilton

Update

Hamilton aka Hammie got his Muffin’s Halo! Thank you!

Megan B.

Backstory

“We were contacted about Hamilton aka Hammie around September and he has just come into my personal care as a foster parent. He is the sweetest boy, but you can tell he is coming into new scenarios and due to cataracts and his loosing sight he is nervous when around the entire pack of dogs. It may be a rare site to get him up and moving as his favorite place is being right next to me, his foster mom. Which is one thing I do not mind. Please know Pictures are not the best because it will be a miracle to catch him in a position that is not laying on my chest.”

Megan B.

Niko

Update

“I got it last night. Thank you so much.  Y’all are amazing! Thank you again!”

Casey L.

Backstory

“On March 7, 2016, I lost my first dog, he was a Keeshond and was only 3 years old. I was devastated. I knew the only way I would be able to grieve would be to get another dog. Not just any, but another Keeshond. Life was empty.

I decided to reach out to some rescues just to get my name on a list because I figured it would be at least a year. Well, 6 days later I was blessed with Willie, a 1 and 1/2 year old Keeshond. His previous owner hated him. Wanted nothing to do with him. He threw the leash at me and said “here he’s yours”. That was on March 13, 2016.

Then in July, I decided to join the Savannah Kennel Club on Facebook, where I posted a photo of Willie. That’s when someone messaged me asking if I wanted another Keeshond. I of course said “yes”. She worked for a rescue here in Savannah, GA and said he was around 2-3 years old and his name was Niko. I asked if I could bring Willie to do a meet and greet. We did and I fell in love. There was something special about him. He was very timid, but had such a sweet soul.

Willie and I came home, did all the adoption paperwork and went back on July 23, 2016 to pick him up.

Niko was rescued from hell. He was rescued along with 40+ animals and brought in to animal control back around March of 2016. He was then rescued and brought to Savannah. He was heartworm positive and went through intense treatment before he could be adopted out.

The day I brought Niko home, I knew something was wrong. He was bumping into the other dogs, walls, me, doors, chairs. He would run into them and jump backwards. Noises even scared him, like a squeaky toy, refrigerator door, food going into his bowl. Sometimes he’s so scared he poops without having any control. I called his vet and got him in.

The day we went to the vet she did the light test and notes blind. Something I knew, but just needed clarification. We were referred to the animal eye specialist, where we met with his doctor (who we adore). His right eye was noted: retinal detachment and his left eye was noted: retina atrophy. Pretty much he is blind and there is nothing to be done to fix it.

Last week I took him in for his checkup (this is our 4th time since July). He had some bleeding in his detachment eye, which was likely due to blood vessel tears and we were told the blood clots will remain for long term. Luckily the pressure and all is normal in his eyes. We think his blindness was probably due to trauma.

Willie helps Niko a lot. Helps build his self confidence. I love Niko so much. He’s a fighter. Never once did he give up. Even with him losing his vision he keeps on going. He’s a blessing and I’m so grateful for him. Niko deserves to be happy and I think him having a halo would help him build more self confidence.”
Casey L.

Keitaro

Update

“A huge “Thank You!!!” to whomever our generous donor was. Keitaro is already navigating better! It was very hard to keep him still because he now wants to go everywhere! Merry Christmas!’

Sara D.

Backstory

Our Min Pin, Keitaro, (12 yrs old) is going blind due to cataracts. His peripheral vision is completely gone and he’s slowly losing the rest of his vision. We want to be able to help him live a bump-free life but do not have the funds to buy one due to medical problems.

My husband had a partial knee replacement and is now facing open back surgery. I have PTSD, Panic disorder, social anxiety, and depression. He’s become my ESA since his sister passed away. I want to help him like he’s helped me. Can you help us?”
Sara D.

Riley

Update

“Riley received her halo. We thank you Angels and she is learning how to walk around at a good pace with out fear of bumping her face:)”

Karen C.

Backstory
“Riley was originally going to be put down after her mate died. Her owner had some issues beyond her control that did not allow her to take care of Riley’s skin issues and she left her in the care of a friend. That did not work out so she thought her only option was to euthanize. Critters 4 U took her in. She lost her eyes to glaucoma in 2009 and would benefit from a Muffins Halo to help out in her transition to a foster home and then a forever home.”
Karen C.

Cinnamon

Update

“Thank you very much, we really appreciate it. It really means a lot ! We were all so excited:)”

Toneja W.

Backstory 

“My name is Toneja Williams and I am contacting you in regards to Cinnamon, who is not only four legged friend, but a member of the family, who we all love and adore. Cinnamon is a 14 year old Cocker Spaniel, who is full of life and energy.

I’ve had Cinnamon since she was a puppy, and she has been a huge blessing. She’s so loving, caring, and always puts a smile on everyone’s faces. Unfortunately, Cinnamon has completely lost both her sight and ability to hear. However, that has not stopped her from missing a beat.

I was hoping that Muffin would have an extra halo for my best friend Cinnamon. I am currently a full time student at UCSD, and have been working several jobs in order to get myself through school. I unfortunately do not have the extra funds at the moment to purchase a halo for Cinnamon. It truly hurts my heart to see Cinnamon discouraged and sad from bumping into objects while walking. With this halo, I hope to give her the joy of having more freedom to regain a part of her old self, and grant me with the security that she’ll be able to move around freely as she enjoys without getting hurt.”

Toneja Williams

Ash

Update

“Christmas came early for Ash and I wanted to thank you and all your angels for gifting a Muffin’s Halo for Blind Dogs to him. Here is a picture, of him wearing it. He has adjusted easily to it and slept in it his very first night wearing it. He is way less barky with it on since he knows he will not be bumping into walls when he walks around the house or in the now snowbank filled backyard. He is returning to his old happy go lucky self and no longer stays in the safety of the bedroom because his confidence has returned knowing he is safe maneuvering around the house on his own.

Many, many thanks for giving this dear sweet old man his quality of life back, I will send more photos as I get them and will spread the word about the great work you and your organization are doing to improve the quality of life for blind dogs everywhere!

Happy Holidays to you, Chloe, Prince and all the angels who make the lives of these precious babies easier and happier!”

Anne
I am so sorry for the loss of beautiful Angel Muffin, but I know his work here continues powered by the love he shared with his mother, sister and now Prince.

Backstory

“Ash is a 16.5 year old Pomeranian I adopted almost 2 years ago. He was blind in one eye with partial vision in the second, 80% deaf and arthritic, but the sweetest little old man ever. A friend in Florida had Ash since he was a baby, but circumstances for the house changed and with the family away from home more frequently for college and work, they made the brave decision to try to rehome him.

I knew it was a long a shot that anyone would want such an old guy, who didn’t see or hear very well and who wasn’t too playful due to the arthritis in his knees, I instantly asked to take him and the following week Ash moved up north in the middle of a frigid, snow filled January.

It turns out he loves the snow, is adored by my two cats who always keep an eye on him to make sure he is ok, and even the bunnies that frequent my garden don’t run when he is out back because they know he would never harm them. The medication my vet ordered for his knees has put pep back in his step and after just two months with me everyone I knew that met him when he first arrived couldn’t be that the happy little guy running around like a puppy was the same dog.

Over the past three months Ash has lost the vision in his other eye, making him completely blind and he has gone from being able to freely run through the house, to getting lost in a corner and not knowing how to get. He doesn’t like to be alone in the yard, because he has lost his confidence in moving freely about, so he spends most of his time sleeping away the hours in the safety of our bedroom.

I don’t know how long I will have Ash, but I promised him the day I brought him home, that whether he has two days, two months or two years with me, I would do everything I could to show him he is loved, secure, and valued for the beautiful little old man he is. My goal is to make his time remaining joy filled and comfortable and I think a Muffin’s Halo would go a long way to restoring his confidence in movement. Please consider donating a halo to Ash.”

Anne

 

Jack

Update

Thank you so much for donating a Muffin’s Halo to my forever foster Jack. He has used it twice now, and I have noticed that he is much more confident when walking around. With the halo on, he does not get caught in the chair legs under the dining room table. It also keeps him from bumping into our other partially blind dog, which sometimes ends up in a lot of snarling and snapping as they are both surprised by the encounter. This alone makes the halo a wonderful addition for Jack and our family. We are in a heat wave right now in Los Angeles, but soon we are going to try it out at the dog park!

Backstory

Old Jack came from a high kill shelter in Lancaster, CA. We only know that he was already about 15 years old. Poor senior dog was deaf and could barely stand up without falling over. Dachshund Rescue and Placement took him in and he became a Forever Foster and I am his foster mother. He regained a lot of his strength, but still has some effects of a possible stroke.

Now he is deaf AND blind, so eating and sleeping are his favorite activities. He loves being snuggled and petted. He loves treats. He needs help finding his way back inside after a potty break in the yard. He gets stuck under the dining table because of the chairs. Sometimes he falls over while lifting his leg to pee. Jack just had a dental and lost 17 severely infected teeth.

Jack could really use a Muffin’s Halo because it would give him confidence when walking around. He deserves to enjoy his senior years and a Halo would add a lot to his quality of life. Dachshund Rescue and Placement has spent over $2000 on Jack and we are really hurting for money since we have three elderly Forever Fosters like Jack at the moment.
Marla C.

Deke

Backstory

We received Deke‘s halo today and I must say he looks VERY handsome! His “seeing eye cat” needed to check it out and gave it two paws up.  Thank you so much for helping us protect Deke as he enters his last stage of vision loss. You truly are angels.

Eileen M.

Backstory 11-9-16

“We were looking for a dog to adopt after we lost our previous dog 2 years ago. We wanted a medium size adult dog and were looking at rescue sites. At that time we were pet parents to 2 disabled rabbits. One was bound and the other has wry neck. I saw Deke on a website and it said that he was 4 years old, rescued from a hoarder and he had vision problems. Since our previous dog had been losing her vision prior to her death I was interested in seeing Deke.

We drove 2 hours to meet him. He was overweight and we were told distrustful of strangers, especially men. As soon as we walked in the house he rolled onto his back and it was love at first sight. We were told his vision problem was due to living in a dark boarded up house for 6 months. He was severely underweight when rescued, had to have part of his tail amputated due to gangrene and suffered from anxiety as well. By the time we adopted him he had been fattened up too much and was still very anxious. He also had terrible gas and diarrhea.

A couple of weeks after getting him home we took him to an eye specialist who diagnosed with with PRA, Progressive Retinal Atrophy for which there is no cure. She gave us a list of things to watch for as well as tips on how to ease him into his darkening world. That was almost 2 years ago.

Since then we took Deke for training to try to improve his other senses. He relies mostly on his hearing now. He has gotten down to his ideal weight and loves snuggling in bed with us in the morning. We also have 3 cats. Our male cat is his best friend. We refer to Tanner as deke’s seeing seyeing eye cat. Deke’s retina in his right eye is now fully detached and he is only seeing shadows out of his left eye. It likely won’t be long until he loses that as well.

He is a very exuberant dog. We tell people we wanted to adopt an adult dog and got a 4 year old puppy instead. Deke’s tail never stops wagging. He is nervous of cars, so taking him for walks can be challenging but we are working through that with him. Our house is a split level so we have a lot of stairs. He does amazingly well with them. But because of his exuberance, he crashes into the furniture and walls constantly. We just can’t get him to slow down so we really need a halo to protect his sweet face.”
Eileen M.