Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Mar. 4, 2025) – The saying “take a blind leap of faith” has never been quite as apt as last week’s arrival to Helen Woodward Animal Center. A blind shepherd-blend pup, named Hashbrown, made the long trip across the ocean – from Maui to San Diego – with hopes of experiencing the light of love. Today, Helen Woodward Animal Center is seeking the perfect adopter to show Hashbrown all the wonderful things the world can offer.
Hashbrown was found wandering around alone in Wailuku, the county seat of Maui, on November 5th, 2024. The striking, brown shepherd had no microchip or other form of ID and appeared, not only lost but, disoriented. Maui Humane was able to take him in and immediately realized the cause of his confusion. A medical exam showed that his “pupils were widely dilated with absence of retinal vessel.” In layman’s terms, the 2-year old pup had most likely been genetically blind from birth. As days went by without anyone coming to look for him, it seemed that Hashbrown had been left to wander the world in darkness.
What can never be darkened is a beautiful soul and Hashbrown’s shone brightly. He loved each dog and every person he met and seemed eager to adapt to the challenges life had set in front of him. Unfortunately, the greatest challenges he had before him were not his own. On the island of Maui, animal welfare struggles had hit an all-time high.
“Maui Humane has now reached critical capacity,” said Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz. “Not only are they still feeling the effects from the wildfires last year but, with tourism and local population down, adoptions are desperately low. Even more tragically, Maui Humane had been transferring animals to LA but with the fires that took place there, they had to stop.”
In fact, when Helen Woodward Animal Center asked SPCA LA how they could continue to help recovery efforts after the January Los Angeles County fires, the Center was asked to contact Maui Humane to take in the animals they could not.
“Hashbrown was the first dog they mentioned,” continued Schulz. “They all love him and they knew he deserved a loving home but a special-needs dog doesn’t stand a chance at a facility struggling with adoption numbers.”
On Sunday, February 23rd, Hashbrown boarded a plane bound for San Diego and made his leap of faith. He immediately received a medical check-up and was placed into a loving foster home where he could adapt in a quiet and safe environment. Within a single day he had made friends with his fosters and the other two dogs in the house.
“He is as wonderful as they described,” said Schulz. “We are so grateful to get this opportunity to find him the family he deserves. Dogs amaze us over and over again. They remind us how to live. If you want to know what reliance and kindness looks like, come meet Hashbrown. Seeing is believing.”
Helen Woodward Animal Center is seeking an adopter who preferably lives in a one-story house and is willing to make simple accommodations for a blind dog. It is important that his adopter is prepared to provide patience and special care as Hashbrown learns his way around a new home. Those interested in meeting Hashbrown should make an appointment as he will be kept at his foster home for comfort, traveling only to meet potential new families. As a thank you to the right adopter, Helen Woodward Animal Center would like to offer a free training session with Center trainer Rob Kuty, from San Diego Pet Training, to provide the new family techniques on how to care for a special needs dog.
For more information on adopting, please contact the Adoptions Department at: 858-756-4117 ext. 1, visit https://animalcenter.org or stop by at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe.
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About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: https://animalcenter.org.
