Mama dog Sid was found wandering the streets of Fort Worth, Texas, with a small puppy at her side. When Fort Worth Animal Control picked her up, they knew the dog was a survivor. She had the wounds to prove it, along with an appearance that could only be described at first as odd, according to The Dodo.
Sid’s face is lopsided. Her nose curves to the right, giving her a perpetual smile — or a smirk, depending on her mood. She also has a scar curving from above her right eye to the bottom of her ear.
At the shelter, staff discovered that Sid was also deaf, a common occurrence in white dogs. But despite her injuries, the dog has a gentle nature, and she’s an attentive mother. She nurtured her puppy, knowing when she was needed despite not being able to hear him.
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Staff at the shelter worried that her strange appearance and her deafness would prevent her from being adopted; they were worried that Sid would eventually be euthanized when her time ran out.
Because of her loving nature, a rescue coordinator determined that Sid wouldn’t spend her last days at the shelter. He contacted Animal Hope, an organization founded to help what they call “second chance” animals that need behavioral or medical intervention before being placed in a forever home. And that’s where Benjamin Morris met her.
Morris is the co-founder of the non-profit Animal Hope Pet Adoptions. “Fort Worth Animal Care and Control contacted me because our organization is better able to provide medical care, and we’re able to be more selective about potential adopters than the municipal shelter can be,” he tells This Dog’s Life.
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Sid has an old injury to her face that damaged cranial nerve 7, and her face is paralyzed on that side, Morris reports. “She can’t open her mouth all the way, and she appears to be deaf, but the deafness may not be caused by the injury.”
No one will ever know what actually happened to Sid, but that doesn’t bother the sweet dog. She just wanted to be loved. Getting her adopted, though, was going to be a challenge.
“Dogs over 25 pounds typically have a harder time finding homes, as do dogs that are white, white and black, or black,” Morris tell us. “Add to that she is a generic mixed-breed dog with a strange appearance, and that can be a difficult placement.”
When people come to a shelter, they often have a predetermined image of the dog they want to adopt. But dogs aren’t a fashion accessory, Morris says. He wishes that people would come to a shelter and ask the staff which dogs are their favorite rather than asking for a specific breed.
Sid is now healthy, and she’s very playful. She loves her toys — and playing with other dogs, which is a good quality in terms of adoption potential. Many dogs languish in the shelter because they need to go to a one-dog only home.
Sid ended up with her happy ending. She found her forever home — with Benjamin Morris. “I recently lost the dog that I travel to schools and scout meetings with to a sudden illness. So, Sid will actually be starting training next week to get her therapy certification so that we can continue the educational program I started with my previous dog.”
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