TV Anchor and Hero
/Anyone that knows FTVLive, knows that we love animals and this morning, I also love WXXA (Albany, NY) Anchor John Gray.
I could get into all the reasons this guy is my hero this week, but I'll let you read his post to Facebook and I think you'll love the guy as well. It's long, but it's well worth the read.
Here's what John wrote:
I have a secret I've kept from you but as we head into fall perhaps it's time; my wife certainly thinks so. I think I've kept this secret from my friends, co-workers (with the exception of Steve Caporizzo because I knew he'd understand) some family and everyone on this page because I was afraid you'd think I was nuts or foolish or even a little selfish. Maybe I'm all three but life wouldn't be worth living if you didn't follow your heart instead of your head sometimes.
Before I explain these photos you need to hear the backstory. I'm sorry if it takes a little long to explain.
On June 16th I spent a day volunteering at the local Humane Society. It was set up exactly as you would expect with the waiting area and rows and rows of cages where people look at cats and dogs and pick one out to adopt.
My job that day was to move things from one end of the building to the other. While in the back of the shelter, a place where outsiders aren't allowed to go, I saw an office with a single crate tucked neatly in the corner. I asked if the employees brought their own pets to work and a woman told me, "Oh no. That's kind of a special guest."
They opened the crate door and nothing happened. Then a few seconds later a white nose poked out and went up in the air to smell who was in the room. Slowly a puppy emerged and my eyes immediately went to his eyes. They were closed. I could tell by his tentative movements that he was blind. I made the noise you make when you want a dog to come over to you but he stood still as a statue. "He's almost completely deaf too", she said.
He smelled the room for a moment and of the four people in there he walked over to me, sniffed my leg and leaned on me. "He likes you", she said. I think he could smell my puppies and I must have seemed safe to him.
This dog without a name who lived in complete darkness was just a puppy. He appears to be a purebred Australian Shepherd. The best guess of what happened to him from the folks at Humane Society is that someone dumped him on the side of a local road when they realized he was severely disabled. Odds are they bought him very young and thought his eyes just hadn't opened yet and as he got older they realized they never would because he has no eyes. I did some research and he's what's known as a "Double Merle." Many are put to death at birth by heartless breeders but this little guy survived that fate and despite wandering the local roads blind and deaf, at just four months old, somehow managed to avoid being hit by a car.
By some miracle someone found him lost and alone and took him to the shelter. They told me he needed a couple of surgeries and then they'd try to find him a good home. They we're pretty sure one of the vets was going to take him. I patted his head and went about my life.
Three weeks later Winston came home with us and our puppy family was set. Three dogs....that's it.
In the weeks to come my mind kept wandering back to the blind white dog I'd met by chance so I emailed the shelter to make certain he found a good home. They told me the vet wasn't taking him but he was recovering from surgery and spending time with a nice lady who worked with dogs in rehab. Very soon they'd try to find him a special forever home.
I told my wife about him and she asked if she could meet him? She just wanted to meet this dog who haunted her husband's thoughts. That was it.
We went, she held him and she started to cry. I told her "No, absolutely not." And she agreed another dog was insane. I mean who brings a blind, deaf dog into a home with two puppies under nine months old and a senior dog on multiple medications who can barely walk? Insane people that's who!
A few days later we heard they adopted him out and neither of us said a word but I could tell we both were sad. Happy for him but still a little sad. I felt like God put this blind puppy in my path but I couldn't understand why?
A couple days later I emailed the shelter to make sure he was working out in his new home and they told me I was misinformed, he still needed a home and family to call his own. I said, "We are interested but we have three dogs, two of them puppies and I imagine he needs quiet and peace." They told me he is trapped in silence and peace and needs stimulation. They told me he comes alive when he's around other animals. I could just see her smiling over the email as she typed that.
We took him home almost three weeks ago with the understanding we were more a foster family than adoption family and if there were any troubles he'd have to go back. You can probably tell from the photos this Australian Shepherd gets along with the German Shepherds like peanut butter & jelly.
We have taken the word "foster" out of it and they are just a happy puppy family now.
My wife asked me what I wanted to call him and after getting to know him and seeing his courage and kindness I told her he should be named after the most inspiring person who ever lived who was blind and deaf, Helen Keller.
Since he is a 'he' & not a she the name Helen was out so I want you to meet Keller.
This is Keller. It's OK if you think I'm crazy because I think I'm crazy. I just can't have him be a part of my life and keep it from all of you. Besides he may make an appearance at one of my book signings this fall 🙂.
When he gets older I think Keller would make a great therapy dog. I picture taking him into a children's hospital where kids fighting illness or facing physical challenges can be inspired. But for now he's home and happy to just be a puppy 🐶.
Great job John, you're a good man.
