We have all heard the phrase “adopt, don’t shop” because we know how hard it is to find good breeders. As we humans have technology that does more and more for us, we’ve moved from breeding dogs for work to breeding them for appearances. But when we did this, we caused them all kinds of problems. They look cute, but even breathing or eating can make it difficult for them.
One of the more serious consequences of irresponsible breeding is double mating. When a breeder crosses two pairs of fleece-wrapped parents together to produce fleece-coated pups, there’s a one-in-four chance that a puppy will be born with white fur. Along with that coat can come some defects. These pups are considered unsold and are often discarded or killed by breeders at a very young age, who only see a spoiled product.
Moxie is one of the lucky ones. She escaped the grim fate that characterizes dogs like her and found a family that loved her.
Raised in Merritt, British Columbia, the Moxie is the product of irresponsible crossbreeding. Born blind and deaf, she was taken to the local Humane Society, which had neither the experience nor the resources to care for her. They contacted the Humane Society of Victoria, who immediately arranged to move her to their location, where they were better equipped to help her.
That’s where she found her family.
“When we saw the paintings on VHS, we immediately fell in love with the little white fluff ball,” says Michelle Overhill. “We knew our home would be perfect for Moxie, based on the description of what they were looking for.”
Michelle and Scott Overhill knew that Moxie would require a lot of time and care, but with Michelle working from home and an easily accessible home with minors, they felt confident they could give her a comfortable home.
“But most importantly we have Macy’s. Macy is a 7-year-old Rough Collie with the most incredible patience, the most amazing heart, and she is the gentlest, easiest, and sweetest dog you can ever meet,” says Michelle.
“Animals have an instinct to let them know when others make mistakes. Many dogs that met Moxie stayed away from her because they knew something was wrong with her. Macy sniffed her lightly and said ‘you’re fine, I like you,’ and we immediately knew they would be good together. Over the past six months, Moxie and Macy have become best friends. Moxie now has a stable family, and she has another puppy to show her the ropes, and teach her how to be a dog.”
Moxie, an intelligent dog, is quite independent. As Michelle says, she doesn’t know she’s different from other dogs!
“Moxie is very good at being at home on her own. She mapped out everything in the house and rarely touched anything. When she did, she just turned around and continued… It was very important to us that Moxie grew up as close to the life of a normal dog as possible, while obviously making sure told her not to get hurt. The result is a happy, confident dog that doesn’t understand she should be worried about getting hurt. She is adventurous, easy going, she is not startled or scared when trying new things, or meeting new people”.
That’s not to say there aren’t some challenges.
“The hard parts come with things that an average dog takes for granted. Going up and down stairs, for example. She was absolutely terrified of going downstairs in the first place. We made a few modifications – or ‘Modifications’ as we call them, such as running a strip of shingle at the edge of the deck to have a tactile way of showing her where the deck ends and the stairs start. head. It works beautifully, and gives her a little more confidence going up and down the stairs. We have other small modifications around the house like a grating in front of the gas fireplace so she doesn’t accidentally touch it. However, little has really changed, she has adapted much better than we ever imagined her to be. “
Moxie’s family has been very supportive of her. Although they understood she was different, they knew she still needed the same things that any other dog needs, and with love and patience, they found the right way for her.
“Since Moxie is a Border Collie/Aussie Shephard, she has high energy. Moxie and Macy play and play rough house at night, helping us burn off that energy. Moxie has little interest in going for a walk because she can’t see and hear nothing. For her, it is not so exciting. 10 or 15 minutes and she’s done, so we don’t have a method to burn off her Collie’s energy. We can’t just throw the ball to her in the field either.”
“She has an amazing nose, so we spend a lot of time [letting] she just watched us (like playing hide and seek), and played any other games that stimulated her spirit.”
This sweet girl has found her place in this world with the perfect family for her and the right home for her. But there are many dogs like Moxie born every day, and very few are as lucky. So again – adopt and next time consider if you can give a special dog like Moxie a happy life!
Follow Moxie on Facebook to see amazing photos and videos of Moxie and Macy!
Featured photo sources: Moxie The Puppy / Facebook, Photo by Lori Hawrychuk Photography
