Have you ever seen a baby walrus?  Well, just look at this little hunky chunky bundle of pure love.... Scruffy! Scruffy is being fostered in New Jersey.

Scruffy is a perfect gentleman.  He knows his basic commands and gets along well with everyone he meets.  He will sit for treats, respect the space of other dogs in the home, wait patiently for treats/meals and look to his foster mom for direction.  He does need to be close to his person all of the time as he relies on his foster mom for direction and commands as to what is expected of him.  For example, he knows "Dinner Time," "Let's go Potty," "Time for Bed," " Good Morning," "Go Lay down," "Come Scruffy."  His foster mom can provide a list of these to whoever is lucky enough to adopt this special boy.  If Scruffy is left in a room without his foster mom, he will bark to remind her that he needs some guidance and will wait patiently.  He will also make adorable "snorting" sounds, so he is always easy to find! 

Scruffy came from the Brooklyn ACC where he and his sister were surrendered by an elderly owner who could no longer care for them.  Scruffy was sent to a separate foster home from his sister and it was unknown to us that Scruffy was visually impaired.  You would never know as Scuffy has made himself right at home, made friends with his foster pups, and settled in within 24 hours.  Scruffy may be able to see some shadows in one eye, but he mainly finds his way by scent and memory.  As a first-time foster mom for a "blind" dog, his foster mom did not have to re-arrange furniture or carry Scruffy around.  All she needed to do was follow her normal routine with her other dogs and Scruffy adjusted.  

Scuffy came from a home where he was trained to use a wee-wee pad. In his foster home, Scruffy will go outside to potty, but will immediately return inside where he feels more comfortable.  If a wee-wee pad is left in the same location, he will go to it to potty.  He does go outside every time the other dogs and is getting used to pottying outside.  He is great on a leash but needs to be walked on the same route daily so he feels comfortable.  He will stop and look to his foster mom if he feels uncomfortable. 

Scruffy is a bit overweight, but that is just more to love.  He has the smoothest coat and a belly you cannot resist rubbing.  He needs drops to his eyes several times a day to keep them wet.  Natural tears works well and a basic eyewash is enough to keep his eyes clean and comfortable.  He is not a fan of the drops as he is very sensitive when it comes to his eyes.  He tries to hide his eyes, but a treat will do the trick and distract him long enough to get the drops in his eyes!  

Lastly, Scruffy would do best in a home with a companion animal.  He is happy to sleep in a penned area with another dog at night or in your bed.  He loves to play with toys and tries to engage in playtime with the other dogs in his home, so another calm/playful dog is a must.  He does know how to play independently and finds things to do, if not napping, but despite his vision impairment, this is a lively, playful, fun-loving, sweet boy who has a lot of love to give!  

Feel free to reach out to his foster momma Maria at [email protected] for any questions!