Joanna George's beloved dog Smiley was born with no eyes. It's an unusual defect that I've only ever seen in another dog named Corey who also responded to his condition with conviction and bravery.
Although you might find the thought of a dog with no eyes or a rare disability (like this dog named Derby whose front legs are deformed) to be a little frightening, I think when you meet Smiley you'll be more than curious, you'll fall in love a little.
Smiley is downright adorable. He may have no eyes but he looks just like a button-eyed teddy bear. If the photos aren't convincing enough when you hear his life story, you simply won't resist being completely smitten with him. This is no tale of a victim or a dog that needs to be coddled. Smiley is merely a dog that needs to be loved, like any other living thing, but what makes Smiley special, even more than his rare condition, is how much love he brings to others.
After a rough start in life, ten years later, Smiley works as a therapy dog bringing patients joy and love in hospitals and nursing homes.
This is Smiley's story.
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Meet Smiley. Smiley was born with no eyes but, as you can see, he's still quite the cheerful pup.
Though Smiley works as a therapy dog, he still has a little trouble getting around, mostly using his sense of smell and his feet to feel out his surroundings.
Joanne George rescued Smiley from a "scary" puppy mill when he was just one or two years old.
“He was very scared, [the dogs] had never been out of that barn,” George said, remembering Smiley's first time out of the mill.
To find out how Smiley's life was affected by another disabled dog, click to the NEXT page!
But she had a solution: She paired Smiley with her deaf Great Dane, Tyler.
“Tyler was so bouncy and crazy and happy go lucky and [Smiley] turned into the same dog,” George said. “He came out from underneath the tables where he was always hiding.”
With the help of Tyler, Smiley was able to come out of his shell.
After facing his fears, Smiley became a bit of a social butterfly. George noticed how people took to her blind and deaf dogs and realized her lucky pups could be of help to others.
Click to the NEXT page to find out how Smiley began spreading smiles throughout the world!
George began taking Smiley and Tyler to nursing homes and hospitals. The patients there became enamored with Smiley.
One man named Teddy, who could not speak or communicate at all, was transformed by Smiley.
“[Teddy] smiled when Smiley got into his vision,” George said. “[The staff] had never seen Teddy smile before.”
It isn't shocking at all. How could you not smile when meeting the aptly named dog, Smiley? He is so adorable and endearing!
"Does he bump into things? Of course, he does. But he does it very carefully," George said, adding that Smiley takes notably larger and higher steps than other dogs. "He’s feeling with his feet."
George also insists that it's important that she not do everything for Smiley, as his independence allows him to better learn how to function in his surroundings.
She said, "I told her [another woman looking to adopt a blind dog] all those things don’ t be his eyes, don’t run his life, don’t’ keep him in a bubble.”
And there you have it. With a little love and kindness, after ten years, Smiley, the dog born with no eyes, is thriving, happy and making life a little easier for others.
