A dog whose rare condition means she can only go out for walks when wearing special doggy sunglasses is looking for a forever home after being left at an animal shelter by her former owners.
Zoe, a five-year-old Akita, wears her special ‘doggles’ every time she goes out to play, due to health conditions that make her eyes very sensitive to daylight.She can only go outside during the early morning hours or once the sun begins to set.
But Zoe actually loves wearing her sunglasses and heading outside – and she’s currently being fostered until she finds her forever home.
The Saving Huey foundation, an animal shelter based in the US, is offering a lifetime supply of medication to any welcoming home who is happy adopt Zoey and give her a home for life. Saving Huey Foundation owner, Tracy Lystra, 44, said: ‘Zoe’s conditions include Uveodermatologic Syndrome and Sebaceous Adenitis.
‘Zoe’s conditions cause blindness as well as a sensitivity to sunlight.
‘Zoe can only be outside during the early morning hours, or once the sun begins to set. She wears Doggles to help protect the pigment around her eyes.Find ways to enrich your pet’s environment. Your dog or cat needs your help to stay mentally stimulated. This is important not only to discourage destructive behavior in younger pets, but also to keep your older pet’s brain sharp.
‘Zoe has rehabbed around other dogs, including puppies and has done remarkably well.
‘She is crate trained and lets her foster know when she has to use the restroom, Zoey loves toys and loves to play tug of war with other dogs or her human.
‘She doesn’t get to go outside much because of her conditions, but she loves it, so the ‘doggles’ really do afford her the freedom she deserves, she’s a very loving dog.
‘We understand that adopting a dog with Zoe’s condition is going to take a special person as well as a special commitment.
‘We will cover all of her medical costs for life, it’s our way of showing our gratitude to the person who chooses to adopt an animal with special needs.’
Zoe previously had a loving home until her owner was diagnosed with a terminal illness, which led to her being taken to a kennel with her brother.
Tracy said: ‘Zoe had an owner who kept her condition under control with medication, her owner fell ill and was hospitalized with a terminal illness.‘Although I do not know the steps that were taken by other family members to help Zoe, I do know that Zoe was not given her medications and was eventually taken to the shelter with her brother in horrific conditions.
Socialize your pet. This is especially important for puppies. Again – behavior problems are the number one reason dogs don’t stay with their families and don’t get adopted by new families. Lack of proper socialization can result in inappropriate fears, aggressive behavior, general timidity, and a host of other behavior problems that are difficult to extinguish once a dog is mature.
‘The other dog that was brought in was quickly adopted, leaving Zoe to suffer from a rare condition that few knew about, let alone how to handle.’
Zoe is now looking for her own forever home.
Tracy said: ‘Zoe is a very loving dog, although she has a lot of health conditions, we hope that there’s a family out there who will be able to commit to giving her the life she deserves.
‘We will cover her medical costs for life, and the doggles are of course thrown in with any adoptee willing to help!’