Late Sunday night in mid-February, a blind, two-year-old terrier blend emerged from San Diego International’s large luggage carousel. The brindle coated boy had just crossed 2,500 miles of ocean for the hope of finding a home in America’s Finest City.
The dog, named Hashbrown by rescuers, had been found wandering Maui: blind, scared, and alone. He was found and taken in by Maui Humane Society. He didn’t have a collar, he didn’t have a microchip, and he hadn’t a clue where he was. Maui Humane’s medical team performed a rudimentary exam and discovered Hashbrown’s pupils were “widely dilated with the absence of retinal vessels.” In other words, he had been blind since birth.
Hashbrown spent the next several months in the care of Maui Humane. Unfortunately, the adoption rate on the island had plummeted since the tragic wildfires nearly two years ago. Furthermore, the LA Wildfires at the start of this year made it so that many of Maui Humane’s rescue partners couldn’t take in extra animals. Wanting to help, Helen Woodward Animal Center reached out and made arrangements to transport the terrier blend to the mainland.
After a brief exam to confirm Hashbrown didn’t need special medical treatment, Center staff decided the blind boy should stay in foster care. There, he would get all the time, love, and attention he deserves and wouldn’t be stressed out by the presence of dozens of dogs he couldn’t see. To get him in front of potential adopters, we put up posters and pamphlets in the adoptions lobby, and even took him on television.
But all those initial efforts were in vain. In the three months he lived in foster care, Hashbrown didn’t get a single adoption application. In mid-May, the volunteers taking care of him had to leave for a couple weeks. Hashbrown would have to endure living sightless in a kennel – surrounded by sounds and smells unfamiliar to him. He didn’t do great the first night.
Wanting to put an end to his anguish before it began, the adoptions’ staff asked if any Center employees could take in Hashbrown for the nights. Special Events Manager Eva Lagudi-Devereaux stepped up and brought the blind boy home.
For the next several weeks, Hashbrown would hang out in the Center’s kennels all day and go to the Lagudi-Deveraux house at night. Adoptions staff hoped the increased visibility – having the terrier blend on site – would help him find a home faster.
And yet, still no interest.
The team got ready to play host to Hashbrown for the long haul. But then, a glimmer of hope. Board member Ruth Parnell had seen photos and videos of the terrier blend and fell in love. She flew in from Texas to meet the blind boy in June and knew he was the missing piece of her family. She ended up renting a car and driving over 1200 miles to maximize Hashbrown’s comfort.
Now, the abandoned blind boy from Maui is living his best life on a ranch surrounded by his loving family.
