In early May, BEDR was contacted by a VCA Canada Central Animal Hospital to help with a dog that was surrendered to their clinic. Eeyore, a then 6 month old male blue brindle Neapolitan Mastiff, had been battling eye infection issues for several months and the owners could no longer afford his medical care. His owners had tried several surgeries to correct the problem, but nothing seemed to work. Neapolitan Mastiffs have very heavy skin on their faces and around their eyes. This often causes Entropion eye (a genetic condition in which a portion of the eyelid is inverted or folded inward), Ectropion eye (where the lower eyelids droop or roll out) as well as Cherry eye (prolapse and protrude of a “third eyelid” from the corner of the eye as a red fleshy mass). All of these conditions were a problem for Eeyore and together they created ulcers and infection on his eyes. His owners met with the Veterinary Ophthalmologist at the University in Saskatoon where it was determined that due to infection and his limited vision, dual eye removal (enucleation) was needed. His owner made the tough decision to have him put down as they could not take on another large expense of surgery with other pets and children to care for at home. The Veterinarian they met with that day asked if they would consider surrendering him instead, with hopes of finding a rescue to take over his medical care. The Vet could not put down this sweet, adorable puppy that she saw having a potential full life in a home that could provide for all of Eeyore’s future needs. She reached out to BEDR and, with Board approval, the wheels were set in motion for the next steps. Eeyore had his eyes removed a few days later and was closely monitored at the clinic for several days. The clinic graciously supported Eeyore and BEDR by helping him recover with no more pain and infections. Dogs, unlike people, use their nose and ears as their first senses, so his loss of eyes was the equivalent of a human loss of smell. They do very well following their nose once they learn their surroundings.

While Eeyore was recovering, the clinic contacted BEDR again. This time about Eeyore’s littermate, owned by the same family, hoping we could help again. Gino is a black brindle male with similar, but less severe, issues as Eeyore. His owner hoped we could help, as they knew Gino still needed more care quickly before his vision was potentially lost. Again VCA Central did surgery on Gino to repair his cherry eye with hopes that the treatment on the remaining ulcers would be successful and save his vision/eyes. Gino also needed surgery for eyelid repair to prevent future ulcers on his eyes. Meanwhile, his brother Eeyore had been learning about life with no eyes and learning to trust his foster if he experienced startling sounds while on walks. Both boys weigh over 100 lbs, are as happy as can be, and are very willing to greet people with a paw or some drool. They bring many smiles with their very large puppy antics. These boys both ended finding very loving, dedicated homes, and are living the good life!