Please let me introduce Molly to you!
Molly
was a 5 month old Rottie bitch when she came to Welfare and is now 3
years old. Everyone who meets her comes to admire and love her
even in
a very short space of time. Molly is totally blind in one eye
and has only light and dark vision in the other, but what a wonder she is. She came to the
notice of Welfare due to the circumstances that
surrounded her and already having had two homes previously we
felt that the only chance she would get in life was to be taken into
our care.
On the initial meeting she appeared to be such a small and pitiful little puppy and for a few days was very quiet and withdrawn. It appeared that her Mother jumped into the whelping box and landed on her head, causing problems to her sight and disfigurement to her face. Being so small this was not noticed at the time and only when she grew did this show.
As soon as she came into Welfare she was immediately fostered with Annie and Chris. It was clear that she required veterinary treatment so that we could get her assessed for any neurological damage and her eye problems. She had three visit to the vets and following an appeal and her story in the Dog World, we have been very pleased to have received donations from dogs lovers of all different breeds who have wished Molly every success with her future. Since the article the Animal Health Trust has offered us help with her condition and treatment and she has been seen by them a number of times for her condition.
During her
time with Annie and Chris at first it was a big learning curve for
all. With understanding of what she can see and how they could help her
found her way around, she now does very well.
She
socialises and plays very well with their other dogs, and meets
grandchildren and lots
of adults.
They took advise on how to help her live with her blindness,
by spraying scent around door frames, using the clicker and treats
to train her, getting her used to her name to which she now comes,
and teaching her to play with toys that make funny noise.
Doing all this meant that she learnt very quickly. She also
had a very helpful playmate in Inca who taught her the rules of dog language.
She has
worked out very well what dog in the household she can take
liberties with and which one she can't.
Annie and Chris found it fascinating to watch her develop her skills in doing things that other dogs take for granted. They found that when in a place she is unsure of she has a particular method of lifting her legs higher than normal in order to discover where she is going. She has worked out how to play with a ball and other toys, by using her sense of smell. She cocks her head to one side to listen when she knows something is there. We know she see light and dark but has really no sight in the other eye. She has become used to Annie and Chris and puts her trust in them as she realises that they will look after her and not put her into any situation that they feel she can not cope with.
Molly enjoys life very much and is a happy member of Annie and Chris's family. Two years ago she had to work out how to find her way around a whole new house when Annie and Chris moved home. She coped amazingly well and seems to go from strength to strength. She has a new playmate in Sid and they play very well together. She did recently give Annie and Chris a scare when she was clearly uncomfortable when her head was being stroked and they though 'oh dear, its her eyes or worse', but thankfully it turned out to a a bad tooth which was removed and she is now fine, in fact apart from her blindness she has no other problems.
We received many donations for her treatment originally and these are still used for any treatment she requires. We thank everyone who gave donations and if you would like any updates, please give Annie and Chris a ring on 01782 395558.