A Retired Army Veteran Finds Companionship With A Blind And Deaf Dog Who Spent 200 Days In A Shelter
For retired Army combat veteran Steve, a shelter dog named Private became more than a pet, he became the steady companion he needed after years of service, injury, and change.
Private, who was later renamed from Ernie, had spent about 200 days waiting for a home after being born deaf and nearly blind. Steve saw something familiar in the dog’s struggles, and the match quickly turned into a bond built on patience, routine, and trust.
What started as a simple search for a dog ended up giving Steve a new kind of family connection.
After the injury, he was transferred to the military intelligence sector, which he surprisingly enjoyed. He eventually got married, and they fostered two siblings with Autism Spectrum Disorder who required a lot of care.
Steve, with his own diagnosis, could relate to the children, and they soon adopted them. Unfortunately, he ended up being separated and relocating an hour away from his family because of his job.
When he finally retired, they made him promise that he would get a dog of his own so he wouldn’t feel too lonely when he couldn’t see them often. It was also something he considered to alleviate the isolation he felt while transitioning from military to civilian life.
That promise set the next part of the story in motion.
After checking the websites of Texas shelters, he stumbled upon a post on Veterans Day about Ernie. Ernie, who was later renamed Private, was born deaf and nearly blind on a ranch. He was given up because the rancher could no longer care for him.
Steve could relate to his needs, which were similar to his own. He discovered that Ernie spent most of his ‘childhood’ between the Texas Humane Heroes shelter and the previous shelter he was in. It was nearly 200 days without a forever home.
Private had already been waiting a long time.
It also echoes the man’s mission to fill his home with rescued animals, even when he found them unwanted.
Steve applied for their adoption or fostering program and renamed Ernie when they got home. From then on, he learned how to cohabitate with his new buddy, adjusting to the dog’s needs and preferences, such as car rides.
Naturally, Steve eventually introduced Private to his sons, who had made him promise to get a dog in the first place. Slowly but surely, the skittish dog adjusted to them as well.
And once Private settled in, the whole family felt it.
After experiencing the benefits and fulfillment that adopting a dog brought him, Steve wanted to encourage other veterans to consider doing the same. If they don’t have the means to adopt, visiting shelters might also be helpful.
Steve notes that adopting his two sons is his biggest achievement, and because of them, he also found his buddy, Private. The dog who spent so long in the shelter finally found someone who would care for him.
A shelter wait finally turned into a home.
For another heartwarming rescue, see how a senior war veteran adopted a 13-year-old left behind during deployment.
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