Lola the Pug

I found Lola on the Pug Rescue of Sacramento website and it was love at first site. Her big bug eyes and smashed nose were all I noticed from her profile picture. I missed the part about her ears being eaten around the edges by flies, she had a raging bladder infection and she had had puppies recently, somewhere. She was picked up off the streets of Hayward, Ca and had been there for no one knows how long. She was a bag of bones when I saw her at the foster home. Although her attitude said it all. She was one tough chick. Even being stinky and pretty nasty looking I couldn't help bringing her home. Over time and a lot of attention she turned out to be a very healthy, loving, loyal companion.

Six years later and many funny and crazy times, that I can get into another time, we embark on a new challenge. Lola started having trouble seeing things. Within about two weeks and three expensive vet appointments it was determined she had something called SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome). She is now completely blind and there is no treatment to correct it. This is where I get really amazed at the resiliance and acceptance of dogs. She has been nervous and extra needy, understandably, the last two days. I decided to try and see how she would do if we just did things as we normally have. She already is getting around the apartment without hardly bumping into things. Today we went to the dog park and to my amazement she trotted around and sniffed and peed like nothing was different. The only thing that had changed was that she would stop every once in a while and look lost until I would say something and then she would be fine again. It was very promising to me as I was really worried how she would be able to manage with her sight being lost so suddenly.

It gives me hope in my own life to take that as an example to just accept what is dealt me and make the best out of it. I wanted to start this blog to chronicle her progress  and maybe, if anybody was to read it, it could help someone else with hardship.