Louis thought life was great. He had a family who seemed perfect to him despite their flaws. But they weren’t everything he dreamed them to be. When the going got tough, Louis’ family turned their backs on him. Now, he’s left wondering what he did wrong.
After waiting too long to treat Louis’ eye infection, the family opted to remove his eyes. Louis knew he could adapt, but post surgery, his family wasn’t happy. Now that the pup was blind, they no longer wanted him, so they put him up for adoption. Louis now has to adjust to a life with no eyes and no family all at once.
Louis Starts Over
At 3 years old, Louis the Lab/Shepherd mix was forced to start over. But it wasn’t the new life he wanted. Before he arrived at the Helen Woodward Animal Center, Louis had surgery to remove his eyes due to a serious infection. It’s possible that he had such an extreme procedure because his humans waited too long to treat the problem.
When Louis returned home after surgery, he had a lot of adjusting to do. Losing your eyesight is incredibly difficult, so any blind dog needs a patient family to help them adjust. But sadly, Louis’ family felt they were unable to care for a blind dog. So, they surrendered him at his lowest point. It was later revealed that the poor pup also had a broken leg that hadn’t healed probably. Shelter staff suspect he broke his leg in a car accident and those injuries were also left untreated.
“Louis was shy and exhausted when he arrived at our Center. However, after just a day in foster care, his tail was wagging! His foster mom tells us that Louis loves attention, sunbathing, and other dogs. He has also learned how to navigate his foster home with ease, despite his lack of sight,” wrote Helen Woodward Animal Center.
The shelter gave Louis a few weeks to recover and feel comfortable with his blindness. Over time, he slowly adjusted to life in his foster home. He’s a mellow pup who’s now ready to find a loving forever family.
Real Family is Forever
After Louis’ story was shared on the shelter’s Facebook page, people quickly fell in love with him. Soon, many people were asking for more information and expressing interest in adopting him. The shelter appreciates all the support, but they will take their time choosing a home for the pup. They want to make sure he goes to a perfect home where he will never be given up on again.
“It is incredibly important that people who consider getting a pet know the obligations they take on with these animals,” said Hella Tyler, the adoptions director. “They don’t seem to realize that pets come with responsibilities and a monthly expense for their care-taking, including medical care. In turn, these pets will provide their owners with unparalleled love. They pay it back tenfold. It’s just devastating to see an animal treated the way Louis was treated.”
Currently, the shelter is only looking for local adopters in the San Diego area. Louis would do best in a one-story house where someone will be home most of the time to care for him. While he’s getting better, he still needs extra help getting used to his new life. He needs a family who will be patient with him and provide him with unconditional love.
Even though Louis has already received an overwhelming amount of interested adopters, the organization still needs all the help they can get. Please consider donating to Hellen Woodward Animal Center to help more dogs like Louis get a second chance at life!
H/T: people.com
Featured Image: @helenwoodwardanimalcenter/Facebook
Toledo, United States.
