A woman who needed help fostering a blind dog named Beau ended up finding both it, and a forever home for him after the help she found fell in love with the dog over video calls.
Samantha Hillstrom thought her own blind dog Finn could use the companionship of little Beau, a Pomeranian poodle mix who was rescued from an Iowa puppy mill. Now Hillstrom believes that Beau was brought to her by Finn, who died just 36 hours after the new pooch arrived.
It’s a touching story: Beau was set, along with his brothers and sisters, to be euthanized after there wasn’t enough demand for adoption. A New Jersey resident named Jennifer decided to save two from this fate, and took them into her home for foster care.
Jennifer learned that blind dogs sometimes use medium sized plastic rings called “halos” which provide a safe, circular bumper in front of their heads to help them avoid collisions.
Hillstrom explained that she lived in a neighboring town to Jennifer, and saw on social media that the foster mom was looking for a halo for Beau.
“I had a blind dog as well, I said I would be happy to share tips with her on how to take care of one,” said Hillstrom. “Jen and I sat on the phone Facetiming for hours, talking, getting to know each other. 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.”
On December 1st, after six weeks of waiting, Hillstrom welcomed Beau into her home, who learned very quickly how to use his halo, and made a dear friend out of Finn, who sadly passed away not two days after Beau arrived, as if passing a torch.
“If I were never Finn’s mom and I never learned how to take care of a blind dog, I never would have been able to take care of Beau,” said Hillstrom. “It’s a tragic, heart-breaking story and I can’t believe my dog just died but I do believe these things happen as they’re supposed to and it is a wild part of the story.”
Beau is learning how to recognize Samantha’s commands, map the apartment and make sure he knows how to get around effectively.
Hillstrom said the pair have changed her life in a way she never thought possible.
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