It wasn’t just coincidence. Fate brought a blind pup and a visually-impaired veteran together.
HARSH BEGINNINGS
The former owners of Louis neglected the three-year-old Lab/shepherd mix. When the dog suffered from a severe eye infection, they decided not to treat the condition. Subsequently, the eyes were both removed. Soon after his surgery, the blind pup was hit by a car resulting in a leg fracture. Because it was too difficult for the owners to care for a blind pooch, they surrendered Louis to a shelter.
It was late December when the Helen Woodward Animal Center rescued the pup. They immediately transferred him to a loving foster home to help him recover. As a result, they helped Louis learn to live even without a sense of sight. Louis’s heartbreaking story became viral.
Consequently, the shelter received an outpouring of support, donations, and many adoption applications. The shelter’s staff cautiously examined each application. They looked for the perfect match for Louis, until they found one.
STEVE WALKER
In a post shared by the animal center, Steve, at the age of 18, began to lose his sight due to a rare disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa. Steve’s love of life never wavered, regardless of his blindness. He competed in marathons, triathlons and even joined the World Championship Ironman held in Kona, Hawaii.
Steve and Kacey Walker’s daughter, Jordan, submitted a composition explaining why their family was the best fit for Louis. First, their one-story home is already adapted to accommodate Steve’s blindness. Secondly, instead of having swinging doors, they have pocket doors. Lastly, they had minimal furniture making the house easy to navigate.er
When Steve Walker, a marine veteran, and his family heard Louis’ sad story, they applied. Initially, they were not looking to adopt another pup. Nevertheless, because Steve could relate to the puppy’s vision loss, they decided to submit the forms.
In a post shared by the animal center, Steve, at the age of 18, began to lose his sight due to a rare disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa. Steve’s love of life never wavered, regardless of his blindness. He competed in marathons, triathlons and the World Championship Ironman held in Kona, Hawaii.
IDEAL FOREVER HOME
Steve and Kacey Walker’s daughter, Jordan, submitted a composition explaining why their family was the best fit for Louis. Firstly, their one-story home is already adapted to accommodate Steve’s blindness. Secondly, instead of having swinging doors, they have pocket doors. Lastly, they had minimal furniture making the house easy to navigate.
Louis will be joining Dragon, the family’s rescue bulldog, and Honey, the bunny.
A Good Samaritan covered the blind pup’s adoption fee. And not just that, Louis also received one of the largest adoption care packages ever. This includes a year of veterinary services, ten sessions of training from San Diego Pet Training, a $500 Petco Gift Card, Subaru Loves Pets Adoption Kit, an original artwork print of Louis made by Erika Ho, Louis’s Instagram fan, two bags of Blue Buffalo Pet Food, and a card signed by all the staff of Helen Woodward Animal Center who worked with the sweet pup.
At the adoption event, Steve thanked everyone who helped the pup. He promised to give Louis a happy and active life.
Finally, Louis got the best reward after a challenging journey—a family who loves him.
Source: hwac on Instagram