Trooper
Update
Aloha, I just wanted to let you know that Trooper’s Halo has arrived! Grandpa was able to get him setup in it and he is adjusting beautifully. Myself, Trooper, and his grandparents want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity. It has been a difficult adjustment for me to let him stay with his grandparents while we are in Hawaii. The Halo will help him adjust to his environment and move around comfortably and now I do not have to worry about him getting injured.
You angels are truly blessings. I cannot thank you enough. I really look forward to being able to support you and other doggies who are going to be getting halos. It is comforting to have found a support group that knows how to best help my fur baby. Thank you again for your generosity! We will put it to good use! Enclosed are some pictures of his first day in the Halo and a short video of him wearing it for the very first time! You truly are angels!~Jenna
Backstory
Trooper is a 12 y.o. Boston Terrier. I adopted him when he was 12 weeks old. I was fresh out of college and wanted a companion. I didn’t know much about Boston’s other than they were small dogs who thought they were large. I went and picked up my cute puppy. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was getting a loyal best friend and companion. This small dog changed my life. We have done many adventures together from running, hiking, cuddling on couch, to countless road trips.
When Trooper was about 9 years old, I noticed he began to lose his sight. At first the changes were difficult to detect. I remember one late afternoon he was chasing me around the yard, I stopped in the yard and he ran right into me. At the time, I thought he was just excited and was going to fast. In hindsight, it was the first sign his vision was going. I noticed other signs as time passed such as he began having a tough time getting in the bed. He wound jump to get on the bed and miss. Over time, I have watched my best little four legged buddy going from being extremely active and energetic to now cautiously playing with only 1-2 toys because he can’t see.
Even more heartbreaking, my husbands job has relocated us to Hawaii for the next 12 months. Due to his health, he has been advised by our vet to not make the flight. Trooper stayed back with grandma and grandpa until our return. He has the most loving grandparents that are accommodating his needs. I do think that his new environment is difficult for him due to his lack of vision. Having a Muffin’s Halo would make all the difference for my sweet baby! I heard about SCFBD though my Boston Terriers ohana- a Facebook group. They referred me to you, Thank You.~Jenna Hall, TN
Sunny
Update
Sunny just received her Muffin’s Halo! She is still adjusting to it. Not quite sure about it yet. But our other blind girl (recently adopted Ivy) did well with the Halo after awhile. We are sure it will be the same for Sunny. Thank You Angels, for donating another Muffin’s Halo to our rescue. We really appreciate it.~
Teresa Sims
Backstory
Thank you so much for the donation of another Halo for one of our rescue Bulldogs. Ivy received her Muffin’s Halo and has now been adopted. We recently took in another senior that is also mostly blind. Her name is Sunny she is 9. She was a owner surrender. She had a tumor the size of a baseball coming from her tail pocket. She had that successfully removed last week. Sunny was living in a crate 23 hours per day in her own waste. She now is living the good life but she does walk into walls and doors. She is fairly active for someone that can’t see. I know if she would be even more active if she weren’t hesitating because she feeling she going to hit her face.~
Teresa Sims (Sunny’s Foster Mom)
Penny
Update
“Penny received her Muffin’s Halo! We are so extremely grateful for this wonderful organization and all of the generous donors who make moments like this possible! Her confidence level has drastically improved and she’s back to happily basking in the sun again. No more nose bumps! Thank you Angels, from the bottom of our hearts!!”
Xoxo❤️~ Krista Young
Backstory
“Penny is a 4 y.o. Corgi/Mix. was an extremely active girl prior to her SARDS diagnosis. She enjoyed playing outside, sunning, chasing squirrels, going for long walks and playing at the dog park. Post SARDS diagnosis she has been extremely depressed and mopes around the house. We try to get her interested in walks again, but she doesn’t want to go past our driveway. I believe her self confidence is currently lacking and she’s afraid to venture off to far due to the fear of hurting herself. She has very short legs and at her height everything has become a hazard. Weight gain has also become an issue. She’s gained 6 lbs since her SARDS diagnosis. I heard about your organization on Instagram. Thank You for considering Penny for a SCFBD donated Muffin’s Halo.”
~ Krista Young, TX
Paddy
Update
Backstory
Paddy is a 7 year old Standard Poodle Mix. She was the runt of a puppy mill litter. We took her in as a puppy because we had a dog who could help guide her and alleviate her anxiety. Paddy actively thrived in our family, hiking, swimming, and visiting the dog park. A few weeks after her 6th birthday, Paddy went blind overnight. We were devastated, but took on the challenge of becoming experts at living with a blind dog. We installed baby gates, trained on new commands, and have made great progress. But, 16 months later, Paddy still has not gained the confidence to break into a run. Pre-blindness, Paddy was an active dog. She maintains an active lifestyle now but is cautious. I heard of your organization through my SARDS FB Group.
Thank You for considering Paddy for a Muffin’s Halo today.~
Leslie MacPherson, Canada
Loki
Update
Loki received his Muffin’s Halo! We are so extremely grateful for all of the Angels. This means the world to us both. Loki will be able to maneuver through the world without injuries and I can already tell the difference in his confidence. Thank you all so much!
Love, Loki and family ?❤?
Backstory
Loki is a 1 y.o. Mixed Breed. I adopted Loki at 2 months old from Take Me Home Pet Rescue in NY. At 6 months old, he was diagnosed with Uveodermatologic Syndrome. It’s a rare autoimmune disease that affects the skin and eyes. It’s typically found in older dogs. Initially, the vet thought he had pink eye and didn’t test for glaucoma due to his age. His eye pressure sky rocketed and he ultimately went blind in his left eye within 5 days. His right eye went two months later, at 8 months old, as his opthalmologist was unable to control it with the prescribed medication. He may have lost his eyesight and some hair, but after surgery he is back to the puppy I adopted. He missed out on 3 months of puppy-hood so he is a little behind on his socialization. I take him on walks and to the pet stores and dog parks but the Muffin’s Halo would be an amazing help for him. I heard about your organization through my FB blind dog support group. Blind Dogs – Owners and Supporters. Thank You, Angels.~Alexa La Marca, NY
Della
Update
Thank you so much for sending a donated Muffin’s Halo to my special girl Della. I really appreciate that there are such nice people around who have gone to the trouble to give Della this chance to be able to navigate this journey of hers safely and bump free. Thank you again to The Angels that donated and to everyone who is involved.?
Thanks Lisa and Della x
Backstory
Della is a 7 y.o. Chocolate Lab. She has been diagnosed with detached retinas. She does still have some vision in daylight but her night vision has already gone and she is struggling indoors and on overcasts days. Vet said her eyes will continue to get worse until she is completely blind. Della is an Australian champion in the aquatic sport of DockDogs with an Iron Dog title to her name. Due to her eyes she can only compete in 1 discipline now “ big Air “ but I will continue to jump her for as long as she wants to keep jumping. I’m using scented balls and balls that beep to keep her going. Thank You for considering Della for a Muffin’s Halo through SCFBD today.~Lisa Waters, OZ
Sancho
Update
Hi, Sancho is doing much better! He is getting used to his Muffin’s Halo. Nothing was more rewarding then to see him walk around new places without hurting his face. Here is a picture of him for the calendar. Thanks for everything, Angels! ~Cecilia Portola
Backstory
Sancho is an 11 y.o. Pit Bull. When my son was 11 years old he had a classmate that had a friend that wanted to dump their 1.5 year old Pit Bull to the shelter. I knew Pit Bulls are overflowing in the shelter and being put down so I took him in. I noticed his vision was off. I took him to UC Davis after a few visits with our Vet. Long story short… Sancho was completely blind within 4 years. I am completely in love with Sancho and I will do anything for him. He is now 11 years old and I wanted to enrich his life. So I hired a “Rover” dog walker to come to our house and walk Sancho while I am at work. Sancho absolutely loves it! But while out on his walks his face hits fences, cars if street is very narrow, and other things. Thank You for considering Sancho today.~Cecilia Portola, CA
Ramsey
Update
This Halo has been such an incredible Blessing for my little boy Ramsey. The Halo has actually given him a renewed sense of confidence while navigating both inside and out. He wears it quite comfortably and actually with how the harness and everything fitting nice and snug it actually seems to give him a feeling of calmness. Because he also suffers of doggie Alzheimer’s he used to get stuck in corners of the room but with the Halo has now prevented that from happening. A Double Blessing.We cannot Thank You enough for helping my boy make the most of his senior years.~
Bless Your Hearts
Susan Grimes and my fur child Ramsey xoxox
Backstory
Ramsey is am 18 y.o. Dachshund Papillion. Other than just being an old dog very old within two weeks of my husband passing away my baby suddenly lost his vision. And literally his mind acquiring doggy Alzheimer’s. My husband was confined to the bed for over 10 years and my baby was his constant companion and there really was no explanation as to how come he suddenly lost his vision and I truly believe in my heart his grieving over my husband is what brought this on.
I’m in and out of the house every two hours to take him out for a little walk and potty break we have been limited quite a bit because of his vision. He seems to get very frustrated not being able to figure out where he is. He likes to walk around from room to room but right now since this has all happened and it’s been a few months now my entire house is wrapped in comforters blankets sheets towels pillows anything I can to prevent him from bumping into everything and getting injured. Every table leg every chair leg everything is bolstered as best I can. I have followed this amazing invention and how much it has benefited babies that are limited with their sight. It’s just a beautiful thing that it helps so many blind dogs. Thank You, Angels!~
Susan Grimes, FL
Gemma
Update
Thank you to the Second Chances for Blind Dogs Angels for providing Gemma with her Muffin’s Halo. She loves her new Halo! It provides much more freedom for her and a little more for me. Normally, we we go out exploring, I am hyper-focused on protecting her from walls and poles. That’s something that will never stop, but it is reassuring that her Halo has my back! I’m now a team of two in protecting my little Gemmy. She has so much more confidence with the Halo. She really seems to like it and it gives her a lot more freedom. Thank you for offering this wonderful opportunity for my sweet girl. ~Mary L Bass
Backstory
Gemma is an 11 y.o. English Toy Spaniel. A puppy mill rescue. She got out of the mill at around age 2 as she had some tumors the mill did not want to deal with. They were removed and she’s had no recurrence.
Gemma developed corneal edema when she was 6 years old. She is now completely blind. Gemma also has some neurological conditions and is on gabapentin for the pain. Since beginning the medication, she has become much more active.
Gemma and her “brother” like to walk around the neighborhood. I need to be very careful when walking her. Because of her smooshed face and her height, she doesn’t have much protection if she runs into things, such as the corner of a retaining wall or high weeds. She once developed a corneal ulcer that took a couple months to heal. I suspect it was from walking into weeds. I’ve been known to cut other people’s curb grass when it gets too high, just for her safety. I am also hyper-vigilant when we are walking to ensure she is safe.
For her age, she is very active and otherwise healthy. She loves to explore. When she is outside on a walk, she will follow all of the smells. Since beginning on gabapentin, she has developed a lot of energy and tenacity. I refer to her as my “puppy”. I heard about SCFBD on FB. Thank You for considering Gemma for a donated Muffin’s Halo today.
Mary L Bass, NJ
Cowboy
Update
Just wanted to say THANK YOU to Special Angel Sally from Sally’s Rescue Inc for Cowboys donated Halo Collar!! He is adjusting so well and doesn’t bonk his face on the walls and cabinets any more. I am sure he really appreciates it so very much. Thank you so very much to all of the Angels! ~Cyrese Jezek and Cowboy.
Backstory
Cowboy is a 12 y.o. Mini-Schnauzer. He became diabetic in Oct. 2017. He woke up Jan. 1, 2018 blind due to rapidly developing cataracts. We had eye surgeries to remove cataracts and put in new lenses. After two weeks seeing he went blind again overnight. He had a second surgery to remove scar tissue and he also had developed a bacterial infection in the other eye which was surgically removed. He still was not seeing . He had three different unidentified bacterials in the one eye which would not react to any antibiotics. He had to have a third surgery with a graph on one eye and have the bacterial eye removed.
That eye was biopsied and found it had glaucoma. Six months later his one eye left went blind with glaucoma so now he is totally blind. He is having a hard time adjusting to no sight. Cowboy still loves to go for walks and play with his favorite toy. Someone from my FB Blind Dog Support Group suggested I apply for a Muffin’s Halo from SCFBD. Thank You for considering Cowboy for a Halo today.
Cyrese Jezek, Tx