Our Story
Finding Bear: A Story of Fate and Fur
One day, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post from a shelter in Michigan featuring a litter of puppies that had been abandoned on their doorstep. Photos like these pop up all the time, but this one caught my attention because one of the puppies was blind. Without hesitation, I reached out to the shelter, asking about him. At the time, my husband and I were in the middle of moving from an apartment to a house, so we weren't yet settled. I knew it was a long shot, but I asked if they might be able to find a foster home for him until we were ready to adopt.
To my surprise, they agreed. They were able to place the little blind puppy, then named Bubbles, into a wonderful foster home. At the time, he was around 10 weeks old, growing fast, and I was receiving daily updates. My husband, however, had no idea about my new plan and was blissfully unaware of how much his life was about to change.
Eventually, I had to break the news to him. His response? A firm "No." It took a lot of convincing and some tears, but eventually, he agreed—though not entirely. We compromised. I would travel to Michigan to meet the puppy and bring our cattle dog, Reina, along to see if they got along. Deep down, I think he was hoping Reina wouldn’t like him, which would make it easier for me to back out.
So, I set the date and drove to Michigan to meet this big, blind puppy at his foster home. The moment I walked in, Bear (as the foster family had started calling him) walked straight to me and plopped down in my lap. It was an instant connection. The foster family didn’t like the name Bubbles and had been trying out the name Bear instead, which, as it turns out, was perfect. About a month earlier, my husband’s childhood dog, Koda, had passed away. Koda’s nickname was Koda-Bear, so when I called my husband and told him the puppy’s name was Bear, he immediately softened.
The next question was, "How did he do with Reina?" To our surprise, Reina, who normally keeps to herself, immediately took to him. She started playing in the backyard with him, which was incredible—she never plays with other dogs. The moment my husband heard this, his response was, “Okay, we’re taking him home.” And that’s how Bear came into our lives.
Photos of Bear with and without eyes - these were posted by the animal shelter in their yearly newsletter.
Why were Bear’s eyes removed?
Bear was born with eyes, but he was also born completely blind. As a tiny puppy, his eyes began to protrude, leaving them fragile and at constant risk of injury. Even though he couldn’t see the world with them, they caused him discomfort and could have led to painful complications as he grew.
So, out of love and in the interest of giving him the safest, happiest life possible, his eyes were gently removed and his eyelids were sutured closed. It was a decision made not out of loss, but out of compassion—so Bear could live free from pain, fear, or harm.
And today, he navigates the world beautifully, not with sight, but with confidence, trust, and a heart that sees everything that truly matters.
Our Story Cont..
When Bear first came home, we thought our biggest challenge would be helping a blind puppy learn to navigate the world.
We had no idea that our journey was only just beginning.
A few weeks after bringing Bear home, we noticed he had a slight limp. At first, we thought maybe he had just been playing too hard with his sister or was simply a sore, growing puppy. But as the weeks went by, the limp became more noticeable. Before long, Bear couldn't even go for a walk without showing signs of pain and discomfort.
We brought him to our local veterinarian, where X-rays revealed something we never expected.
Bear had one of the most severe cases of degenerative hip disease and hip dysplasia they had ever seen. They told us his condition was beyond what they could treat and that he would most likely need surgery. We were completely shocked. How could a puppy—who had already been born completely blind—also be facing such severe orthopedic problems?
We were determined to do everything we could to help him.
Over the following months, we visited specialist after specialist, repeating X-rays, consultations, and additional testing in search of answers. Every appointment left us with more questions than certainty, and every round of testing took a physical toll on our big blind boy.
What started as a $150 rescue adoption quickly turned into thousands of dollars in veterinary expenses. But to us, Bear wasn't an expense—he was family.
Eventually, we made the trip to the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Hospital in Madison, hoping one of the best veterinary teams in the state could help our boy. By then, we had nearly exhausted our savings. We made the difficult decision to start a GoFundMe, never imagining how many people would rally around Bear.
The kindness and generosity we received changed our lives.
Complete strangers donated, shared our story, prayed for Bear, and reminded us that we weren't fighting alone. Because of that support, we were able to continue searching for answers and give Bear every opportunity possible.
After extensive testing, we were quoted nearly $16,000 per hip for total hip replacements. Even more heartbreaking, we were told that UW wasn't able to perform the surgery.
We felt defeated.
Then we found a specialist at Edinger Surgical Options in Madison who was willing to help.
After additional imaging and more extensive testing, we finally learned just how severe Bear's condition truly was. He didn't have functioning hip sockets on either side. His femurs were essentially floating, held in place only by tendons, cartilage, and soft tissue. Looking back, it's incredible that he had been able to walk, play, and experience life with such a severe condition.
In September 2025, Bear underwent his first total hip replacement.
At first, everything seemed to go exactly as planned. We finally felt hopeful that our boy would be able to live with less pain.
But as the weeks passed and Bear began rehabilitation, we noticed something wasn't right. Instead of improving, he was limping even more than before.
Follow-up imaging confirmed our worst fear.
The replacement had failed, and his femur had come back out of the socket.
We were absolutely devastated.
A revision surgery was an option, but there were no guarantees it would work. After countless conversations and many tears, we made one of the hardest decisions we've ever faced. We chose not to put Bear through another major surgery that might only lead to more pain and uncertainty.
Instead, we chose to let Bear simply be Bear.
Today, we carefully manage his activity, prioritize his comfort, and celebrate everything he can do instead of focusing on what he can't.
If you've followed Bear's journey on social media, you've probably noticed what we see every single day—a dog who refuses to let blindness or chronic pain define him. He still runs, plays, explores, loves with his whole heart, and wakes up every morning excited for whatever adventure the day brings.
But through all of this, there was something else we weren't prepared for.
People told us we should just put him down.
They said he wasn't worth the time, the money, or the effort. Some couldn't understand why we would continue fighting for a blind puppy with so many medical challenges.
Those comments broke our hearts.
Because when we looked at Bear, we didn't see a dog whose life wasn't worth living.
We saw a happy puppy.
A puppy who loved chasing toys, exploring the yard, snuggling on the couch, making new friends, and simply enjoying life. Bear didn't know he was blind. He didn't know his hips were different. He just woke up every day ready to live.
That changed everything for us.
We realized Bear wasn't the only special needs dog people were overlooking.
Every single day, dogs who are blind, deaf, seniors, amputees, or living with medical conditions are passed over because someone assumes their lives won't be as full, joyful, or meaningful.
We couldn't accept that.
Special needs dogs don't choose to be born blind. They don't choose to have hip dysplasia, missing limbs, or medical conditions. They deserve the same chance to experience love, safety, and happiness as every other dog.
That realization became the foundation of Big Blind Bear.
Today, our mission is to educate, advocate, and inspire others to look beyond a diagnosis. We are passionate about showing the world that disability is not inability and that every special needs pet deserves the opportunity to live a full, happy life.
Through education, awareness, and sponsoring adoption fees for special needs pets across the country, we're working to ensure that fewer dogs are overlooked simply because they're different.
Bear may have started this journey, but this mission has become so much bigger than one dog.
It's about giving every special needs pet the chance they deserve.
Because sometimes, the dog everyone else overlooks becomes the one who changes your life forever.
