Alaska and Winter aren’t your average border collie puppies.
Their parents are merle dogs, and as a result, they were born with a condition known as “double merle,” which has made them fully blind and deaf.
“They can’t hear or see because there’s no pigment in their eyes and ears,” says Daniela Arreola Gala, a volunteer with Fly With Me Animal Rescue in Halifax.
“I’ve been fostering them for about two months now. They are three months old and I got them when they were eight weeks,” she says.
“It’s been really easy. They learn really fast. You train them by touch cues and senses. So you have to make sure they don’t go by themselves too close to the stairs where they might fall and stuff like that.”
A special bond
The puppies are now in need of an adoptive home.
However, Arreola Gala says having dogs with special needs takes a special owner.
“Whoever gets to adopt them, they’re going to have such a special bond because they trust you a lot. And they’re trusting that you’re not going to drop them or take them somewhere they’re going to fall,” says Arreola Gala.
“It’s important to understand that they’re a lifelong commitment like any other dog. But you do have to be a bit more patient and careful with them.”
She adds Alaska and Winter are prime examples of the importance of ethical breeding.
“It’s important to know that this is a thing that can happen to a lot of puppies if you’re not spaying or neutering your dogs,” she says.
“Their disability is something that is completely preventable, and just by raising awareness and making sure that people are informed that this will happen, and there’s a 20 per cent chance that dogs in your litter will have this genetic disability just by mixing those two dogs.”
‘Discovering the world in their own way’
Until they find their forever home, she’s happy to watch them beat the odds every day.
“My favorite thing about them is just getting to see how every single day they become more independent and they discover the world. Every single day they try something new, they learn new tricks. They learn how to go up the stairs, like they’re just discovering the world in their own way,” says Arreola Gala.
She says interested owners can fill out an application on the Fly With Me Animal Rescue website.
“I’ll be able to answer any questions we have about training. And they’re also connected with an adoption coordinator just to make sure that they go to the best fit and have a good home,” she added.
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