There are few things that make me happier than stories of neglected or abused animals getting a second chance at life.
Just thinking about a dog’s life being transformed for the better warms my heart — and trust me, the story you’re about to read did exactly that.
Please meet Hazel, the newest member of the #OneLuckyPup program, brought in through a request pull from our friends at Animal…
All dogs deserve to feel safe and loved throughout their lives. Sadly, some pups never get that chance.
In May 2020, Hazel — a pit bull — was abandoned by her owners and taken in by Mr. Bones & Co. and Rescue the Runway. She was in terrible condition and suffering from multiple injuries.
According to the shelter, Hazel was eight to nine years old, severely underweight, and deteriorating due to untreated diabetes when she finally received the help she needed.
“She came to us after a life of backyard breeding, a blind senior struggling with diabetic ketoacidosis which almost took her life,” the rescue wrote.
Because of juvenile diabetes, Hazel had lived most of her life blind. She had no idea what the world around her looked like. She relied entirely on her other senses — hearing, touch, and smell — to navigate.
Despite being repeatedly bred and facing countless obstacles, Hazel proved to be a tough little fighter. She quickly won the hearts of the staff at Mr. Bones & Co. and Rescue the Runway, but they knew she needed a foster home to continue her journey.
Thankfully, kind people stepped up to give Hazel food, warmth, and safety while she waited for her forever family.
When her foster parents, Elli and Sam, learned about her situation, they acted immediately. They were more than willing to take Hazel in and help her adjust. “When we heard Hazel was blind, we wanted to make sure we did some research. We tried to figure out the best way for her to get her bearings,” they told The Dodo.
Elli and Sam created a thoughtful system to help Hazel navigate safely. They set up a secure environment free of sharp corners, used sound cues to guide her, and taught her signals to help her understand when she needed to stop or come closer.
Before long, Hazel began to adjust. She made huge improvements day by day. Feeling safe allowed her to relax, wag her tail, and play without hurting herself.
Hazel was getting closer to finding her forever home — but she still needed ongoing support.
In the summer of 2020, Hazel’s life changed again when she met her next foster parents, Allison and Pete. Their role was similar to Elli and Sam’s, but with one major difference: they would witness a miracle.
“Mr. Bones & Co. put out a message that Hazel needed a home. But also, that at some point while we had her, she would go in for surgery to restore her sight,” Allison said.
While caring for Hazel, Allison and Pete experienced the incredible moment when Hazel regained her vision after eye surgery. In October 2020, she underwent bilateral cataract surgery with artificial lens implantation.
The procedure went well, and after a few days of rest, her foster parents came to pick her up — an emotional reunion that’s hard to put into words.
The moment Hazel saw her beloved foster parents for the first time was truly heart‑melting. Her post‑surgery care required multiple eye drops for weeks, and Allison handled them with patience, love, and plenty of treats.
A couple of months after regaining her sight, Hazel was adopted by a family in Massachusetts. According to the rescue, Hazel is now “living her best life with Onalie, John, and her canine brother, Cooper.”
Absolutely beautiful. Stories like this truly make my heart happy.
