By Kaitlin Bain
Caramia’s cloudy eyes are common for an animal with cataracts. Photo by Kaitlin Bain.
One cold morning in early 2016, Caramia was brought to the Morris Safe House, an organization in Lubbock that rescues homeless dogs. While every dog has a place in Sallie Morris’s heart, she could not have imagined the place the little terrier would soon find in the hearts of many Lubbock residents.
When Caramia was first brought into the Safe House, Morris, the shelter’s owner, said she knew right away there were problems with Caramia’s vision. According to Caramia’s Crowdfunding page, she was in the middle of the road and could not see an oncoming truck to move out of the way.
During the first couple of days, the little dog took some time to warm up to her new surroundings. Megan Jordan, a Texas Tech student who volunteers at the Morris Safe House, said she was one of the first volunteers to hold Caramia.
“She was really scared,” she said. “As soon as I got in there she had to sniff me first, but then, when she wasn’t scared anymore she wouldn’t let me leave. She was so sweet. I knew she couldn’t see so I knew she was probably scared to be on her own.”
Caramia goes in and out of her kennel, plays with toys, eats and interacts with people just like any other dog would. Photo and animation by Kaitlin Bain.
It has taken some time, but Caramia has learned her surroundings at the Safe House, Morris said, and continues to use her other senses to interact just like any other dog.
Aside from helping Caramia realize she was safe in her new home, Morris said her first order of business was to get rid of Caramia’s Ehrlichia. According to PetMD, Ehrlichia is an infection spread by ticks that can cause abnormal bleeding, severe weight loss and seizures. Not only can this infection be fatal for dogs, but it can also be transmitted to humans.
After Morris was able to cure the Ehrlichia, she started thinking about Caramia’s cataracts. Another dog at the Safe House, Suki, has cataracts and is now completely blind. The main difference between Suki and Caramia’s situations, however, is that Suki also has diabetes, which disqualifies her from surgery to get rid of them.
“I couldn’t do anything about Suki’s cataracts,” Morris said, “but I wanted to do what I could to help [Caramia].”
From there, Morris said she introduced her plan to raise money for the cataract surgery to the Morris Safe House Board.
“I thought if we could just raise half the money, I would write a check for the rest,” she said.
She introduced the idea to the Safe House’s board on a Friday. She said all members pulled out their checkbooks right there to contribute to the cause. By Sunday afternoon, the Safe House already had half the money needed to conduct the surgery.
Information provided by PetMD.
After traveling to Dallas for testing, Morris learned that Caramia would not be a candidate for cataract surgery because she has progressive retinal atrophy. This condition means the retina is not receiving light and is therefore not imaging. Even if the cataracts were fixed, she said, Caramia would still not be able to see anything.
“When they called and told me, I cried all morning,” she said. “I finally pulled myself together to call and inform the family. Some things we just can’t fix and this is one of them. It’s just devastating.”
Despite not being able to fix her sight, the family that agreed to adopt Caramia still wants to take her home and will pick her up the second she returns from traveling, Morris said.
“Well, she will have a home where she is safe and loved,” said the couple who is adopting her, according to the Crowdfunding page.
Morris notified everyone who donated for Caramia’s surgery and has confirmed with them that it is okay to keep the money in a different account to help a dog who needs specialized treatment in the future.
Morris Safe House is open every day from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and takes as many dogs and volunteers as they can handle.
McKenzi Morris, a Texas Tech student who volunteers at the Morris Safe House and is one of those donors, said she is happy her donation will continue to assist dogs in need.
“They really seem to prioritize the dogs more than anything else and aren’t as concerned with making money,” she said. “They want the best for every animal they have and want them to find good homes, no matter how long it takes.”
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