Diary of a Dog: Jaijai

Life can deal out some tough cards. That was certainly my case. Although I have some light perception, I was born about 90% blind in Tijuana, Mexico. I was living in a holding facility there and would get bullied by the other dogs. (My ears still look a bit funny because they used to get nipped at.) I tried hard to keep my spirits up, and sure enough, I found my way to where I was meant to be. Andrea was looking for a dog and every time she checked on PetFinder, she’d see my face. She was initially nervous about taking care of a special needs dog but here’s what’s really awesome… Andrea works at Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Palo Alto. She knows the blind or visually impaired can do anything a sighted person can do, just differently—and that gave her the confidence to have me flown up to the Bay Area. Now I live with Andrea, Tim, Denise and Amy and our amazing rescue pet family that includes two other dogs, a rabbit, two desert leopard tortoises and a leopard gecko. My favorite thing is chasing my jingle ball in the yard, and if I can’t find it, Andrea is happy to fetch it and toss it for me again. Every morning, I get to go to work with Andrea, and she says I’m the perfect office dog. You’ll usually find me near her desk, but I get lifted up onto a lot of laps, too. I never bark or whine, and I’ve heard Andrea’s co-workers refer to me as “inspiring.” I do have one embarrassing confession: It’s hard to stay awake during business meetings! Sometimes, I fall asleep… and snore!