Published: February 22, 2008 07:49 pm         

Dogs with disabilities deserve love, too

DANVILLE — Like people, animals with disabilities adjust remarkably well.

Take Smokey, for example. The cocker spaniel, who has glaucoma, is blind, but he still manages to find his way around his foster home.

In fact, the black cocker heads straight for the front door, eagerly waiting for a walk.

For now, Smokey is in the protective custody of the Vermilion County Animal Shelter Foundation board, and has a cozy room at River Road Dog Boarding near Bismarck.

But the friendly guy needs a permanent home — a place where he can settle in and learn the territory. He also needs an owner who is loving and patient, someone who doesn’t mind administering daily eye drops.

“He’s just the sweetest little dog,” said Sharon Folkman, owner of the boarding kennel, where Smokey has been a resident for about a month.

Smokey is housebroken and is quite smart, she said; he follows a scent to find the door or his treats.

Pam Hamblin, who helped rescue him, said, “His personality is wonderful. He is such a sweetheart.”

He might be between 3 and 5 years old.

Smokey’s background is unknown. He showed up at a home near Cayuga, Ind., last summer, all matted and dirty. Someone called Diana Bryant, president of the foundation board, who took the dog in to be groomed and get shots, and he was returned to the home.

He already had glaucoma at that point, and had lost his eyesight.

A couple of months ago, the same person called Bryant to say the Indiana woman didn’t want Smokey, and had taken him to a home in Georgetown. He was tied outdoors to a camper.

Hamblin rescued the cocker one night. The foundation got him groomed, tested for heartworms and neutered. A veterinarian examined his eyes, prescribing ointment and later eye drops.

Cocker spaniels tend to have problems with their ears, but Smokey’s are fine. He has a soft, curly coat.

The foundation has been paying for Smokey’s care, including the drops, which cost about $15 for a three-week supply.

Bryant, who has rescued other animals with disabilities, said they adapt easily, and learn their surroundings quickly, which Smokey has done.

People shouldn’t give up on an animal just because it has an illness or disability, she said.

She also wonders why owners don’t check both the city and county shelters when a pet disappears. She sees a lot of good animals, who obviously are pets, come into the shelter.

“There are so many wonderful dogs who end up at the shelter as strays, but nobody comes in,” she said. “It’s really a shame. It breaks your heart.”

Smokey’s been through a lot in his short life. Let’s hope someone will give him a full-time home, and all the love he deserves.

To adopt Smokey, contact Bryant at 443-3751. Applicants will be screened.

MICROCHIP REMINDER

If your dog has a microchip, make sure you go one step further: Change the address if you move.

“The chip is no good unless you tell us you move,” said JoAnn Adams, director of the Danville Humane Society. “It’s worthless if we can’t find you.”

When people move, they tell their doctors, the post office, and others. But they forget about their pet, she said.

When a shelter finds a pet with a microchip, it will call AVID, which supplies microchips. Usually, the shelter will be given the name of the veterinarian or the agency that injected the microchip. The vet or agency will provide the owner’s latest information.

If you move, call whomever you got the chip from — such as your vet or the humane society — and report the new address. Otherwise, shelter employees can spend hours trying to track down an owner.

The oversight causes so many problems that Adams is thinking of making up reminder cards for people.

So, if a move is in your future — update your pet’s address, as well.

Contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.