"I know this dog, Max, who is almost blind," my mate Harry said to me. "You should meet him."
Honestly, my heart sank. It's been difficult for people to take care of their pets during the pandemic and I feared another sad story.
But then he showed me a photo. Max, a big black German Shepherd, grinning at the camera, tongue lolling, and clearly full of the joys of life. "My sister and brother-in-law's dog," Harry grinned. "They're nuts about him."
Max normally lives up north in Penang but, as he was down for a family visit last week, we were introduced a mere two days later.
I rang the door bell, saw Max in the garden, and stepped back, waiting to be introduced. I was expecting him to be shy because blind animals are very aware that they're defenceless against attackers.
To my surprise, his dad just said,"Max, say hello" and then I had my hand sniffed and nosed politely as his tail wagged a friendly welcome.
But Max was part of a loving family when he was still sighted, and therefore his experience was a different one.
Max started his life living with a family who found themselves unable to take proper care of him. With his first dad working abroad a lot and Max being largely untrained and huge, his mum was a bit frightened of walking him.
Many dogs would end up stuck on a chain or (horrors!) in a cage. Luckily, they reached out to friends Vikram and Sanjev Krishnan who immediately told their parents about Max. It was love at first sight.
"We had our own dog, Django, who was one year old, so we thought, why not?" Ananda Krishnan explains. "Max was fully grown and, for the first week or so, he was quiet. But he and Django made friends and began to play together. And he loved it when he learned we went to the palm oil estate for walks."
Max found the perfect home because his new dad is a logistics and warehousing executive who spent years working with a K9 unit working for Saudi customs. "You should see how they treated those dogs," he enthuses. "Beautiful care! The best food and an air-conditioned home complete with showers and helpers. They had a great life."
Ananda worked with dogs trained to detect drugs, arms and contraband. "I learned to read dogs because a misread of their body language can cost you a million dollars in missing a container with contraband.
"Not all the dogs behave in the same way, either. Some bite, some bark and some use body language signals. Like Trapper, a brown Labrador. One time he was sniffing around, looking and circling and then suddenly, he bit the container. That's when we knew. We found 35 bullets in that box, hidden among some household effects."
So how did he train Max who was already a fully grown German shepherd? "You have to work with them, it's cooperative – you can't yell, and smacking is out completely," Ananda explains. "Patience and love, that's what it takes. A dog that is part of the family, that spends a lot of time with his people, is happy to learn to fit in."
Max definitely fits in because his mum, Mary Anthony, walks him too. "He is very strong but he's very good," she smiles.
But two years ago, a double tragedy hit the family. Django died of a twisted intestine at just four-and-a-half years old. Then, also at the age of four, Max began to have problems with his eyes.
"We were playing fetch, and Max was missing the ball," Ananda remembers. "I said to him, 'Hey, are you blind?' as a joke. Then I realised the right eye was a wrong colour."
They rushed Max straight to the vet and it was bad news. Max has a genetic issue that results in retinal detachment, leading to blindness.
"We took Max to a specialist but there's not much they could do," Ananda sighs. "There's an operation but the results are very temporary, so the vet recommended against it."
Although they tried a course of eyedrops, science isn't yet at a point where there's help. Max went blind in one eye soon after and then his second eye got bad, fast.
"We think he went completely blind early this year," Ananda says quietly.
Although the humans are sad, Max is there, chewing his red ball and having a good time. Most people would be daunted at having a pet go blind. So, how did they keep him so relaxed and happy?
"We don't move things," his mum says. "Everything has a place and it stays there, so he can walk confidently without worrying."
Does it really work?
"Well, yes, because a few months ago we moved a flower pot by a porch and he smashed it," she laughs.
It starts the family recalling their best dog stories.
"Max isn't chewy but Django ate the coffee table when he was a teething pup.
"But if we go out and Max isn't allowed to come, he drags a shoe out and leaves it for us to see. It's his protest shoe.
"He's always subtle... if he needs something in the middle of the night, he licks you until you're up.
"When he wants to play, he drops his ball into your lap," Mary says. "He likes it best when we all play as a family."
It's eye-opening but Max still plays fetch. "We play with a strawberry-scented ball we bought," Ananda shares. "He fetches and chews it before handing it back."
Has Max going blind made any big changes? "We no longer do obstacle course games and when I walk him, we go on the leash and I watch out for him," Ananda says.
Max also does his part for awareness raising. He and the family have a monthly dog walk group on the first Saturday of every month in Penang that educates owners about cleaning up after their pets and that helps non-dog owners to learn that dogs are loving and sweet, even if they're huge, black and furry.
"We want to help dog owners make the most of their pets," Ananda advocates. "There are too many people who spend RM30K on a dog and then ignore it. A dog isn't a thing; it's a living creature that needs love and to be a member of the family to be happy."
And Max, tongue lolling as he leans in for a petting, is testimony to that.
Your pet's eyes are as delicate as your own, and they also have the same protection: when working well, eyelashes and tears help sweep little particles of dust out of the eye.
The signs of good ocular health are simple. If you look closely, your pet's pupil should be perfectly clear. If you have good eyesight, you might see the retina behind it. (But don't shine a light into your pet's eye; it may do damage. Leave that kind of examination to a vet.)
Overall, the eyeball should look moist. If you look closely, the skin around the eye (the conjunctiva) is pinkish like your pet's gums while the white part of the eye (the sclera) is bright white, shiny with tears, and has tiny red blood vessels.
Common signs that something is wrong include: watery eyes, cloudy-looking eyes, unusual discharge, having the sclera turn yellow, seeing the conjunctiva discolour, having your pet pawing at its face or otherwise being irritated or distressed.
As eyes are delicate, go immediately to the vet if you see trouble. Also, pay attention to overall physical health and diet as certain issues, like diabetes, can lead to cataracts.
In addition, if you want a pedigree, talk to your vet about proper care first. Some breeds are prone to eye issues, so it's important you learn to be on the lookout for specific conditions that may plague the particular breed you take in.
Aryan (pic right) is three-and-a-half months old, healthy, vaccinated and dewormed. This cute boy is very jovial and smiling all the time, and gets along really well with people. He will make a very good guard dog and companion. To take him home, contact Sherrina in Petaling Jaya, Selangor (012-202 6384/ ksherrina@gmail.com). More info: facebook.com/petadoptionmsia.
Champagne (pic below) is nine months old and healthy. She's been vaccinated (first round) and dewormed. She is boisterous yet gentle, sweet, loving and playful. She just loves people, and is suitable for families with children. She'll make a good guard dog, too. Interested, contact her fosterer Deborah Joy Peter in Subang Jaya, Selangor (016-265 1013).
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