Due to a series of life circumstances, many dogs end up blind. Blindness in dogs can be congenital (present from birth), the result of a traumatic injury such as a fight or a car accident, or it can develop as a dog ages. Many people do not know how to care for blind dogs, and many times, they end up in local county shelters. Disabled dogs often have a hard time being adopted, and that leaves them at risk of being euthanized to make room for healthy dogs.

The idea of dogs being euthanized simply because they are blind has galvanized people around the country to help out. These nine rescue organizations focus on blind dogs (and other disabled dogs) with the goal of getting them out of local shelters where they are at risk of poor medical care and euthanasia, and into the hands of people who will connect them to forever families who will love and care for them despite their blindness.

The 9 Blind Dog Rescue Organizations

1. Blind Dog Rescue Alliance

Blind Dog Rescue Alliance is the most comprehensive dog rescue focusing entirely on blind dogs. The Blind Dog Rescue Alliance (BDRA) works with people all over the country to provide support and care for blind dogs with the hopes of connecting each dog with a loving forever family. BDRA always has dogs up for adoption. BDRA also focuses on raising money for blind dogs everywhere while providing helpful resources and educational materials for dog owners.

You can donate to BDRA, or you can participate in their periodic live auctions, where proceeds go straight to the rescue (information on their Facebook page). You can also buy officially licensed Blind Dog Rescue Alliance merchandise to show your support. Unlike other rescues, BDRA allows people to sponsor a dog, which gives them the opportunity to support BDRA and a specific dog without being local.

If you are struggling to care for a blind dog in your life, BDRA allows for owner surrenders. This means you can give your dog to the group, and they will care for it and try and find it a forever home. If you are curious to see what Blind Dog Rescue Alliance is all about, consider going to one of their events to meet the team and find ways that you can help.

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2. Animal Hope Rescue

Animal Hope Rescue is located in the Fort Worth area of Texas and focuses on “second chance” dogs. Many of the dogs in their care are injured or are dealing with various illnesses, such as heartworms. Animal Hope Rescue gladly works with blind dogs. In fact, they have worked with multiple dogs that have required eye removals over the years, often due to traumatic injury or from a dog fight. Animal Hope Rescue has dozens of dogs up for adoption, and they will also allow you to surrender your dog if you cannot take care of them due to financial or emotional burdens.

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3. Heath’s Haven Rescue

Heath’s Haven Rescue is located in Post Falls, Idaho, sandwiched between Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington. The organization began with the rescue of a severely ill husky that was abandoned in a cardboard box in a hot parking lot measuring over 100˚F. Since then, Heath’s Haven has been dedicated to caring for and adopting out dogs with special needs. Heath’s Haven is committed to providing each dog with the specialized medical care and rehabilitation they need to get adopted by a loving family. Heath’s Haven deals in blind dogs, often dogs that were born blind. If you are interested in adopting or fostering dogs with Heath’s Haven, you should check out their application forms here.

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4. Love Handlers

Love Handlers is a dog rescue and sanctuary located on 60 acres in Greeneville, Tennessee. They specialize in dogs with disabilities and have been in business since 2008. In 2021, Love Handlers rescued 46 dogs and made sure that each and every one was adopted out to a loving home. Unlike other rescues, Love Handlers does not have a strong social media presence so this would be a shelter aimed at local people in the Greeneville, Tennessee area. If you are curious about the current status of Love Handlers, you can give them a call at (423) 329-0554.

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5. Special Needs Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation

Special Needs Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit focusing on giving hope to seemingly hopeless cases. This group is not a shelter, and they do everything through volunteer fosters. While being fostered, Special Needs Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation (SNARR) will cover all medical costs for the dog’s care. They will even help provide transportation for you and the dog so that they can go to their scheduled appointments. SNARR’s goal is to rehabilitate dogs with disabilities, including blindness, and eventually connect them with a forever home where they can live a long and happy life in the care of people with a heart for these kinds of dogs.

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6. Special Needs K9

Special Needs K9s is an organization that strives to save dogs that society has deemed “unsavable”, including blind dogs. This organization has been in existence since 2009 and provides all manner of care and support for disabled dogs and those looking to adopt them. Special Needs K9 will help foster and rehab dogs before adopting them out. They also provide financial support and education for potential owners looking to adopt a blind dog. Their goal is to provide safe and loving forever homes for dogs that have issues that would make it nearly impossible for them to survive in a typical shelter. SPCA International awarded Special Needs K9 with a Shelter of the Week Grant in recognition of the great work they are doing in this space.

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7. Pets With Disabilities

Pets With Disabilities is a rescue group located in southern Maryland. Pets With Disabilities specializes in dogs with a variety of ailments, including blindness. Some of their dogs are even blind and deaf. Pets With Disabilities knows that disabled dogs can be tough to rehome, so they have developed a series of dog apartments that measure 10 feet x10 feet and provide each dog with everything they need to live a happy life while they wait for their forever family. They even have two apartments for dogs that need isolation or peace and quiet. If you want to see what Pets With Disabilities is up to, you should check them out on Facebook. Their Facebook page shares stories of dogs saved and dogs that are potentially up for adoption.

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8. Rolling Dog Farm

Rolling Dog Farm is located in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire. Rolling Dog Farm is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit focusing primarily on disabled dogs. Their mission statement says: “We take disabled dogs, and by disabled, we mean blind, deaf, blind-and-deaf, three-legged, and with other neurological and orthopedic issues.” Rolling Dog Farm is committed to providing a good home for disabled dogs in a place where they can live out their remaining days in peace and privacy. In recent years, Rolling Dog Farm has pivoted away from adopting out dogs to keeping dogs in a safe and suitable environment. This makes Rolling Dog Farm a true sanctuary for blind dogs and other dogs with disabilities.

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9. Second Chances for Blind Dogs

Second Chances for Blind Dogs is a little bit different of an organization. Instead of taking in blind dogs and rehoming or rehabbing them, this organization connects blind dogs to special halos that will help keep them from bumping into things. These halos, called Muffin’s Halos, are given out to people who apply for them. Second Chances for Blind Dogs also focuses on education by showing people that blind dogs do not need to be dumped at shelters where they are at higher risk of being euthanized. This organization is great because it shows that there are people out there who still have blind dogs’ best interests at heart, even if they don’t have the room or money to run a full-fledged rescue.

How You Can Help

Animal rescue groups are groups that run almost entirely on donations, grants, and volunteerism. If you want to help out any of the organizations on this list, you should go to their websites and see what they need. Some pages have donation links, others have links to wish lists of items that the organization is in need of. If you want, you can get connected with a local animal shelter and offer to volunteer or foster dogs. In many cases, organizations need foster parents or volunteers more than they need money or things, but every little bit helps. Donating to a 501(c)(3) can also be tracked for beneficial tax purposes.

Conclusion

These are nine rescue organizations that specialize in dealing with blind dogs. Each one of these organizations has a heart for disabled or unwanted dogs. These rescue groups are located all over the country, from New Hampshire to Texas, Idaho, and Maryland. There is a good chance that you have an organization near you that specializes in blind or disabled dogs. Supporting any one of these organizations can help to save dogs that might otherwise be euthanized in a traditional animal shelter.

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Featured Image Credit: victoras, Shutterstock