Sully is a 4 year old Miniature Poodle who is my best friend. This is his story.
When
Sully was four months old he was dropped off at the pound by his owner. His previous
owner was a non reputable breeder who couldn't find a buyer for him. While at
the pound he had been up for adoption three times but no one picked
him up.
For
the first two years that I had him he was such an amazing companion. Incredibly playful, great with kids and other animals, he really just loved anything and everyone. Unfortunately due to a break up I lost custody of Sully for two
years. Every day I thought about him, missed him, wished I could have him back.
Then in July of 2014 I received a phone call from my ex asking if I could take
him back. She was no longer able to keep him. Without hesitation I jumped on
this amazing opportunity and said "Yes!".
The
drive to pick up my long lost friend gave me time to reminisce. Thinking about all
the great fun we had in the past and the memories. It had started to make me
wonder: "Will he remember me?" I was a ball of excitement, happiness,
worry and anticipation. Finally, I was there. I arrived and waited for my ex to
get there with Sully. It felt like forever but after two years I finally had my best
friend back.
I
noticed Sully wasn't his old self. He was sad,
not active or playful. At first I thought it could be a result of being
in a new place and with someone he no longer
recognized. He was still great with kids, new people, other
animals and really just the sweetest dog you could ever ask for. But
after a couple weeks he hadn't really opened up much and to make
sure it wasn't something worse I decided it was time for his first vet check up.
After
his vet visit I was given some sad news. At only four
years old Sully had developed arthritis in a leg he had broken as a puppy and
had a fully formed cataract in one of his eyes. His teeth were also in
dire need of a serious cleaning. This explained why he wasn't as playful or active and came off a bit reserved. Also at this time he was having allergy issues
and had to be put on a special prescription diet.
One
day after getting home from work I noticed he was running into walls. I rushed
him to the ER immediately I was was told his good eye had developed
Uveitis and he needed to see a specialist. I took him to the
closest Ophthalmologist I could find, which happen to be 2 hours away. I was then informed that a new cataract
had rapidly formed in what was his good eye, Sully was blind. My heart sunk. I worried that maybe I had neglected him in some way and that is why the cataract formed so quickly. The ophthalmologist informed me that he was just unlucky.
Generally dogs can adapt to becoming blind as it is normally a gradual process.
In Sully's case the blindness came on suddenly, he had no time to
adapt. It was as if he was in a lit room and someone turned the
lights off. This has resulted in him getting lost in the house or back yard. He also consistently runs into just about everything.
But
then some good news! They informed me that he was a great candidate for
cataract surgery. Since he was young and in otherwise great health he would be
able to see again with this surgery. Then more bad news, it would cost
$5,500 to give Sully his sight back.
Due
to the blindness Sully has become unsure of himself and his
surroundings. He now growls at kids and other dogs. He is
very inactive and overall unhappy. The little bit of playfulness he had
left, is now gone, it is heart breaking.
In
hopes to keep him comfortable and as happy as I can he is on
prescription medication for arthritis, cataracts, and allergies. With the pet
insurance, his special diet, and the prescription medications his expenses run over $200 a month.
Sully
is my best friend, my companion. He's there when no one else is. Sully is only
four years old. With his breed and overall good health he has a lifespan of 15
years. That's easily 11 more years I could have him with me. 11 more years he
could be without his sight. I have done everything I can to help Sully through
this. I have exhausted every resource I have in order to get him back
to the Sully I remember. Now I need help.
Please
help me give Sully the gift of sight back. The $5,500 for the surgery
would give Sully back his life. If we can raise the money for this surgery we will pay it back in community service . Sully is starting the process to be a therapy dog. The local library has a program called Barks for Books. This is where kids with social anxiety issues and special needs read to dogs. I think sully would be the perfect candidate.