There’s nothing that warms the heart quite like a successful adoption story, and it’s only made all the more amazing when the animal in question has special needs– though, as Judge Sabrina Johnson will tell you, her wonderful blind pup doesn’t really have “special needs”; he gets by just as well as seeing dogs!
Judge Johnson adopted Mikey three months ago and now brings him in to work with her every day. The sweet pug had his eyes removed a year ago after a battle with glaucoma, but navigates his environment with practiced ease. She admits he can be a little clumsy sometimes, saying, “He’ll bump into things when we go into new environments, or sometimes when we’re walking in the park, he’ll get going and run into a tree.”
She says Mikey has brought immeasurable joy to her life, stating that she may have rescued him, but he also rescued her. His smiling face melts people’s hearts, she says, stating “I’ve seen very tough police officers just get down on their hands and knees… play with him, cuddle with him.”
Their story is just one of millions of beautiful stories about happy adoptions, but sadly, adoption often loses out to buying pets from stores or breeders. Hundreds of thousands of animals are put down in shelters across the country ever year because of overcrowding and lack of potential adopters. If you’re considering adding a pet to your family, think about checking local adoption agencies for brilliant animals like Mikey. If it’s feasible for your situation, you might even consider a special needs animal. These animals are frequently overlooked by adopters because of their health problems, but many adoption agencies will provide excellent support, and sometimes they, like Mikey, won’t need much extra care at all.