A rescue dog who went blind overnight has finally found love in a new forever home after nine months of waiting.
Alex the four-year old Terrier is now called Oti by his new owner, Winefride Brack from Chipping Norton who fell in love with Oti the first time she set eyes on him after originally looking for a Collie.
Oti arrived at Dogs Trust Evesham back in October 2018 when he had full vision and was instantly a firm favourite with his canine carers. 
However, one morning, staff suddenly noticed that he was walking into things and was sent to the vets so they could take an urgent look at him. After being referred to an eye specialist, it was confirmed that Alex had gone blind as a result of detached retinas.
Despite this sudden change, he has adapted incredibly well and his ‘guide humans’ in the form of his Canine Carers helped him to feel safe and secure by going above and beyond to make his daily life much more predictable.
They applied scents to his harness so he knew when it was being placed over his head, they taught him to lift his paw when there’s a step in front of him so he doesn’t trip over and provided different textures on the entrance to his kennel so knew where he was.
Although at first the team wasn’t sure whether he’d cope with such a huge change, he surprised them every day and are over the moon he has happily headed off to a forever home of his dreams.
Tracey Spiers, Assistant Manager at Dogs Trust Evesham, said: “Oti is such a fabulous little chap and all the staff adored him – he loved to walk around the centre saying hello to everyone he knew. No one could understand why the right home didn’t come forward, but we are so happy to him that his time came, proving that every dog really does have its day.
“He needed a quiet, adult-only home with minimal visitors and patient owners who were around all the time. Winefride ticked all the boxes and we’re absolutely delighted that he is now surrounded by love and all the home comforts he deserves.”
Oti now enjoys several walks a day, plays in the garden of his Cotswolds home, has met the neighbours and is generally loving life.
Winefride said: “I had a Collie for 15 years so originally visited the rehoming centre looking for one. There wasn’t anything suitable for me at the time, but one of the team asked me whether I had considered rehoming a blind dog. I must admit, I didn’t think I’d be able to provide a blind dog with what they needed, so I left that day still on my search for a Collie. But after seeing Alex’s little face on the website, I just couldn’t get him out of my head, so a few weeks later, I contacted the team and the rest is history.
“You really wouldn’t know that he’s been through so much. He is marvellous and makes me smile every day. He loves to go for walks and meet people on his way round. He also has his silly giddy moments which is so lovely to see. His is very affectionate and so intelligent.”
If you would like to bring a four-legged friend into your life, you can visit the website at www.dogstrust.org.uk.
