A heartwarming story about a visually impaired Golden Retriever and his guiding companion.
When Jake, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever, lost his eyesight, his roommate Addie made every effort to help Jake adjust to his new life. Over the past few years, time and time again, Addie has proven herself to be both a skilled guide dog and a loyal friend, truly deserving the title of “the goodest of the good girls.”
The owner of the “golden” duo, Kim, shares:
“We adopted Jake after our Golden Retriever Molly passed away, and started fostering Addie after our Golden Retriever Wrigley passed. Jake was very sad after losing his companion, and we knew he needed a sibling.”
Jake always followed the sound and scent of Addie. After Jake had eye surgery, Addie wore a bell on her collar until he became familiar with tracking her on his own. Jake experienced vision problems at the age of 2. We noticed that Jake had issues with his eyes, and later discovered that his tear glands were no longer functioning.
In the following months, despite trying various medications recommended by our specialized veterinary ophthalmologist and undergoing multiple surgeries, Jake’s eyes progressively worsened.
We had to face a painful decision: to remove Jake’s eyes or let him dream a thousand sunsets.
Both choices were incredibly cruel, especially for a dog who had already endured so much pain.
But in the days that followed, we received numerous calls from people who had adopted visually impaired dogs.
But in the days that followed, we received numerous calls from people who had adopted visually impaired dogs.
Our veterinarian also advised us that for dogs, vision is only the third most important sense, while hearing and smell are truly the most crucial ones.
With this information, we made the decision to proceed with the surgery to remove Jake’s eyes.
Immediately after waking up from the surgery, the veterinarian informed us that Jake was happily wagging his tail.
Jake is letting us know that the painful days are behind him!
Jake is letting us know that the painful days are behind him!
Sometimes Jake still bumps into some objects in the house, but he easily navigates around the house and the neighborhood. And thankfully, his lovable playful nature has returned!
Kim further shares: We are so glad we made the right decision and are grateful for the encouragement we received. Every day, Jake reminds us that his life still holds immense purpose and value, despite the hardships he has faced.
Jake is quite “chill” like those surfers. He often lies on his back when sleeping and raises all four legs up in the air. As for Addie, she loves cuddling and being affectionate. She follows our footsteps everywhere and is always ready to share kisses.
