Sometimes, a pet adoption seems more than meant to be; it seems heaven-sent.
Jennifer Tripucka of Hoboken, New Jersey didn’t know much about special needs pets when she took in two Pomeranian poodle mix pups that were rescued from a puppy mill in Iowa. The siblings had been scheduled to be euthanized due to overcrowding in their shelter, so Jennifer took them in even though one of the dogs is blind.
Jennifer threw herself into learning how to help her blind foster, who she called Nelson. Seeking information about a training tactic for blind animals called a hula hoop collar, which dogs wear around their necks to keep them from bumping into objects, she posted a question on Facebook.
Samantha Hillstrom happens to live in a neighboring town, plus she owned a 13-year-old beyond poodle who was also blind.
“She posted on a Facebook group that she was looking for a halo for her blind foster dog,” Samantha explained. “I had a blind dog as well, I said I would be happy to share tips with her on how to take care of a blind dog.”
Samantha and Jennifer started video chatting, and Samantha quickly fell in love with Nelson. She started thinking that the little blind pup might make the perfect companion for her elderly dog, Finn, so she decided to apply to adopt Nelson.
“She was holding Nelson, now known as Beau, and I was holding Finn and by the end of our conversation I just said, ‘I have to apply for this dog.'”
Samantha was approved to adopt Nelson, and she renamed him Beau. Sadly, just 36-hours after he came to live with them, Finn passed away.
Samantha now believes that she was meant to be Beau’s new mom.
“I truly believe that Finn brought Beau to me,” she said, adding that her experience with special needs dogs helped her care for Beau from day one. “If I was never Finn’s mum and I never learned how to take care of a blind dog and take care of Finn, I never would have been able to take care of Beau.”
While she is devastated by the loss of her dog, she is finding joy in Beau each and every day. The little guy is very smart and is picking up commands with ease. He’s also gotten really good at navigating her apartment using his hoop collar.
“I never set out to adopt one blind dog and I certainly never set out to adopt two blind dogs but what anyone with a dog will tell you is they find who they want in a family,” she said.
It certainly does sound like Beau was meant to come live with Samantha! We hope he continues to ease his owner’s grief.
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