When people first hear Blind Willie’s story they often react with sadness and condolences at his unfortunate situation. What they soon discover is that Willie’s disability helped unite a community of caring people, all touched by his story, thanks to a campaign by the Wayward Dog Foundation.
Upon arriving at the Wayward Dog Foundation, the nearly 10-year-old Jack Russell Terrier had only one eye, and it didn’t work. Because he was unable to see, the kennel environment proved to be a challenge for little Blind Willie. He was quickly moved into a foster home and then temporarily adopted. But soon after the family realized that their home was not compatible with his disability. He came back to Kennel Creek and then was fostered by Wayward Dog co-founder Crystal Wiebe.
Due to the increase in swelling of his remaining eye, the vet declared that his eye needed to be removed. The Wayward Dog foundation set out on a campaign to raise enough money for his surgery through selling Beer Paws dog treats and gathering generous donations. Thanks to the amount of people moved by hearing about Willie’s plight, it wasn’t long before an appointment was made for his eye was removal. Deer Creek Animal Clinic in Overland Park helped make this possible by performing the surgery at a greatly reduced fee.
Willie’s road to recuperation hit a few bumps along the way, including multiple re-stitchings and experimenting with different types of cones. However, little Willie stayed strong and quickly learned to adapt to his new situation. Just a week after his stitches were removed, Blind Willie finally met his forever family and found a place he could call home.
Now living with a Pug, Beagle and a Pomeranian, Blind Willie is learning how to enjoy life and just be a normal dog again. Using his new friends and sharp nose for guidance, he has hardly any issues navigat
ing the house and backyard.
You would hardly believe he’s the same dog when you see him play with his favorite toy, a stuffed fish that makes bubbling noises that help him locate it again. He even picked it out himself!Willie spends his days sunbathing in the backyard, playing with his new toys, and enjoying belly rubs from his new mom and dad. Thanks to some generous people that opened their hearts, Blind Willie has a second shot at life and is taking full advantage of it!
Wayward Dog Foundation was co-founded by the owners of Kennel Creek Pet Resort and Beer Paws to help place wayward dogs into loving families.
Grooming your dog isn’t just about making your dog look great; it also helps make them feel great! Dogs of all coats need regular maintenance to keep them healthy and happy. You wouldn’t go months without brushing your hair or trimming your nails and neither should your pooch.
Here are just a few of the benefits to your pet from consistent grooms:
Just like you, we love to see happy, healthy pets and consistent maintenance is a big factor in making your dog feel good. Timely visits to the groomer reduces the amount of time spent on brushing out mats and fixing preventable problems and gives the groomer more time to pamper and beautify your pet.
With our terrific in house grooming salon, Kennel Creek makes it easy and convenient for your pet to be pampered head to toe during their stay with us. Talk to our receptionist or a groomer today about scheduling services for your dog.
In the past month, two Kennel Creek guests-in-residence have found loving forever homes. If you like us on Facebook, you surely saw Razzy, the handsome long-haired dachshund. He is now a very happy fellow, getting along great with two other small dogs, a new mom and dad named Big Al who is almost as big of a character as Razzy. Don’t they look happy together?
Razzy came to Kennel Creek along with two other adoptables from a shelter in Nebraska. Buckshot, a miniature pinscher, was the first to be adopted. This former stray was so named because during his neuter surgery, the vet discovered steel shot embedded in his leg. It’s hard to believe such a thing could happen to a dog as small and gentle as Buckshot. Fortunately, a Kennel Creek client fell in love with him as soon as she met him. Buckshot is now known as Hyde, a new sidekick to a rat terrier named Tanner. We look forward to seeing them both often at Kennel Creek!
The Trainer’s Diary: Teaching Gordon Good Manners
Gordon started coming to Kennel Creek when he was a very young, very cute pup.
He played well with others until one day he got a little full of himself and obnoxious with the other dogs. They didn’t respond so well to him, so he couldn’t play with the group anymore.
That’s when Gordon’s owners decided it was time to get him some training.
Basic Obedience
He turned out to be a very quick learner.
In just a few sessions, Gordon learned to sit, down, stay, to walk nicely with an automatic sit when we stopped, to come, and to leave it. He is so adorable when he goes through his paces! He has the fastest sit I have ever seen!
Socialization
Although Gordon seems to enjoy making people laugh, we really needed to work on his engagement with other dogs.
To help him learn proper play, I worked with him out in the yard playing with first one dog and slowly adding in more. I studied his play style and noticed that he responded to submissive dogs by bullying them and aggressive dogs by challenging them.
There are dogs that like to play vigorously but that don’t get angry. Those are the ones he plays fantastically with. He is in love with another English Bulldog named Denver, and they splash in the pool together.
We plan on increasing his circle of friends gradually so that he and his friends can enjoy each other’s company. Gordon truly is a delightful little dog and training has only enhanced his personality!
Kennel Creek Pet Resort :: Overland Park, KS 