Lily

After fostering my friend's dog for four months, the time was nearing for him to go back home. Although I had taken him in as a favor, I realized that my home would be empty again. That is when I decided to adopt a dog permanently. I thought about what type of dog I wanted and after searching Petfinder.com, I decided that a dog with a disability was ideal for me. I work with people who have disabilities in my job, my degree is in rehabilitation and many of my friends have disabilities; it was only natural that my dog have disabilities too.

I spent about three weeks looking for the perfect dog, and then I found her. Lily was five years old, 90 pounds, a couch potato and was completely blind. I later learned that she had severe food allergies as well, to nearly all protein sources. After talking with her foster mom, I realized that Lily was a perfect fit for my family. She joined us in December 2009 and has been a fully included member since that day.

People love to meet Lily and pet her. Even though she is big, her demeanor makes her more of a teddy bear than a tiger. When I introduce Lily, I start with the basics about her and then discuss her blindness. I try to educate people that having a dog that is blind really isn't much more difficult than a sighted dog. Our biggest issues are her extreme diet restrictions due to her allergies. Being blind is just another characteristic that makes her who she is, but she doesn't let it stop her. She doesn't pity herself, I don't pity her and I sure will not allow others to. She is a great dog, who happens to be blind