Nala Rose was born with eyelids but no eyes.
She was otherwise healthy, but her owners were considering putting her down. The little poodle was only a few weeks old, and it looked like she wouldn’t make it be much older.
Things weren’t looking good for the pup.
Joan Wiegers, a volunteer with St. Louis Senior Dog Project, said:
“The breeder never had something like this happen. She and her husband discussed the option of euthanasia because she was uncertain of what quality of life the puppy would have.”
The breeders also assumed that nobody would buy a puppy with no eyes, and they had no intentions of keeping her themselves.
Before they took the pup to the vet to be euthanized, they decided to call a rescue to see if it could help.
Wiegers explained what she told the breeder:
“I told her that Nala Rose would not know the difference, as she was born that way. The breeder then surrendered her to me.”
Wiegers became Nala’s foster mom and started caring for her. Once the puppy was old enough to go to a new home, Wiegers took her to an adoption event. That’s where she found her new home and a mom that would love her forever.
Jayden Radtke, Nala Rose’s new human sister, said:
“My mom was holding Nala Rose, and when I came back from picking out food for our other dog, she was going over adoption papers. When we first got her, we didn’t really know much about where she came from until her first vet checkup with us.”
Once the vet explained what was going to happen to the puppy if the rescue hadn’t taken her in, Radtke and her family were shocked.
It only made them love the pup even more and want to give her good home and life.
Radke said:
“Apparently she [the breeder] thought that a puppy with no eyes wasn’t worthy of living. We were so relieved that the breeder relinquished her.”
The family has tried to make Nala as comfortable as possible at her new home, and she had done well.
She has a dog sister who acts as her guide dog, and the family has found a way to make sure Nala can easily find someone when she needs them.
Radtke explained:
“We put bells on Ellie’s collar so Nala can hear her walking and follow her. When we first brought her home, my little sister made bracelets with bells on them for everyone to wear so she could hear us, too. Her hearing is really good, though, so when you walk anywhere you can bet she is following you if Ellie’s not around.”
Nala is happy and playful.
She likes to play outside, and she isn’t a bit shy. She is a social little pup, too. She has no problem introducing herself to other dogs that she hears on her walks or at the dog park. Radtke said:
“She thinks she’s a big dog. She has met much bigger dogs like huskies and just plays and runs around with them. She is never intimidated!”
Radtke also explained that most people don’t even notice that Nala is different. Her hair hides her face, and she is so happy and healthy that there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with her. Radtke added:
“When you first look at her, you don’t really notice it because of her hair. People miss it unless we happen to tell them.”
The family is thankful to have the little pup in their lives and glad that the breeder surrendered her and didn’t have her euthanized.
Thinking about what could have happened to her makes them sad, but knowing that they are giving her a great life makes it all OK. Radtke said:
“We were heartbroken to think about what might have happened to her. It’s so sad that some people don’t think pets with disabilities can have a good quality of life and be happy. We can’t imagine her living a better life than she is now.”
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