Have you ever seen a seeing-eye dog? When people lose one of their most important senses, they usually depend on a loyal dog to help them navigate. But what about when a dog who loses his eyesight?
This is Amos, a staffie mix who has lost both of his eyes.
Amos’ owner is Jess Martin, who’s been taking care of the dog since his days at the shelter.
It would appear that Amos’ blindness didn’t come from an injury. The staffie mix was born without eyesight, and Jess knew from the start how hard life would be for him.
His condition prompted an operation to have his eyes removed. Though don’t think for a moment Amos spends all his time wallowing about it. He kept on, living life as best as he could despite having no eyes.
Jess decided to foster, and eventually adopt the blind dog herself.
She decided that his blindness would turn off many potential adopters. Plus, all those days seeing him in the shelter might have convinced her.
The then-27-year-old Jess was doing volunteer work for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Amos’ condition would require extra care and attention from a new owner. There was no way to guarantee that a potential new home would be up to the task, which was a fair assessment.
Caring for a blind dog is a huge responsibility that Jess was preparing for.
With a blind dog in you home, there’s a whole lot steps to make things easier for them. One important one is to make sure the furniture is always in the same places. As tempting as it might be to relocate sofas or tables, you should avoid doing so when caring for a blind pooch.
They have to memorize their way around your home. Wouldn’t want them constantly bumping into things just to get around.
But Jess also needed Amos to get along with her other dog, Toby.
Toby was a nine-year-old Border terrier. Unlike Amos, Toby could see perfectly with both eyes. Jess wondered at first how things might play out.
Though Toby would soon show that Jess didn’t need to worry.
It began during the early days of fostering Amos, when the dog had trouble finding his water bowl. Seeing the difficulty his new friend was having, Toby nudged Amos in the direction he needed. In a short time, Toby was proving to care quite a bit about Amos.
Toby was like Amos’ shadow. He stuck by constantly and was Amos’ way of interacting with the world.
You’ve heard of a seeing-eye dog. Well, Toby here is something not many dogs are. He’s the seeing-eye dog to another dog!
Even when they go out for walks, Toby is there for Amos every step of the way.
Amos isn’t particularly fond of strange noises during walks. Any unfamiliar sound makes the dog stop and lay down in anxiety. Something Toby picked up on.
So Toby, being the wonderful friend he is, sticks right up close to him until he calms down. Toby knows how scary the world is to his friend that can’t see any of it.
And Toby’s unconditional support and friendship really changed both of their lives.
Take a look at the photos from their mom, and tell me they don’t look like the happiest pair of dogs.
Toby is the kind of friend that you might only have once in a lifetime. Amos is fortunate to have met him in his.
Click the video below to see Toby and Amos’ heartwarming friendship in action!
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