The Hughes family is already known for their devotion to rescue dogs. Chris and Mariesa Hughes are the creative minds behind The Mr. Mo Project, a nonprofit that gives senior shelter dogs opportunities to live out their lives with loving families. They also earned internet fame last year when they built a custom bed big enough for them and their eight pups. There’s no limit to how far they’ll go to help a dog in need, and an aging pit bull named Gremlin is no exception.
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Gremlin was rescued from a dog fighting situation when she was about four years old. The Hughes family adopted her, but that wasn’t the end to Gremlin’s hard life. Since she was adopted seven years ago, the ailing dog has fought cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and a blood disease called babesia. She was already blind in her right eye, but a year and a half ago, her owners started noticing the tell-tale cloudiness of a cataract taking over her left eye.
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Hughes signed her up for surgery, but afterward, the dog developed a painful ulcer that affected her vision. A veterinary ophthalmologist determined that the 11-year-old former fighting dog was severely nearsighted in her left eye. She could see objects and people at a distance, but she struggled to see things directly in front of her.
With everything near her being a confusing blur, Gremlin became anxious and afraid. She startled easily, and she started withdrawing from the family she loved. Her quality of life was in a downward spiral, but the Hughes family was determined to help. Mariesa Hughes began contacting veterinarians across the country looking for someone who could give her dog glasses to improve her eyesight. Eventually, Dr. Petra Lackner suggested the idea of contact lenses.
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Contact lenses for animals have been around for about 10 years, but they’re expensive and usually reserved for wild animals in captivity. Instead of going with the pricey veterinary lenses, Lackner and Hughes decided to try human-grade lenses with Gremlin. There were concerns about how Gremlin would react to having the lenses put in, but once it was done, Gremlin’s reaction was immediately positive. Hughes describes the dog as “waking up from a daze.”
With her vision restored to normal, Gremlin is once again a sweet, goofy, loving member of a big family. She has her lenses changed once a week and loves to cuddle with her owners and stare at her reflection in the mirror. Gremlin’s success with human contact lenses may lead to opportunities for other dogs suffering from vision problems to live full and happy lives.
Featured Image: Facebook/Gremlin
Toledo, United States.
