Moment Blind Dog Realizes Grandma Has Arrived: ‘Favorite Person’
A senior blind dog's adorable reaction to realizing her grandma had stopped by has melted hearts on the internet.
While Grace, a 12-year-old Chihuahua, might be in her mature years and completely blind, she is still as sharp as a tack. Nothing gets past this tiny but mighty pup, especially not her grandma, Wendy Kelly, who is coincidentally Grace's "favorite person."
Grace's owner, Shelby Salmela, captured the dog's sweet reaction when she realized that Kelly had arrived. Grace's 11-year-old canine sister, Katie, was already jumping around and receiving fuss from her grandma when Grace suddenly recognized the person's voice and immediately clambered to get closer.
Salmela, 30, of Austin, Texas, told Newsweek that Grace has "such a special bond" with her mom, and she loves seeing how excited she gets whenever she visits. The dogs love pretty much any visitor who stops by, but nothing tops seeing their grandma, nicknamed GG.
"It melts my heart every time because seeing the pure joy she feels when they're together makes me so happy. There's nothing better than watching my girl light up like that," Salmela said.
"We started filming Grace's reaction to hearing my mom's voice when we visited her in May of this year. My husband had mentioned how much Grace perked up the last time she heard my mom, and we were curious to see if it would happen again. It's become a cherished part of how we document these special moments between Grace and my mom."
The adorable clip was shared on TikTok and it has delighted internet users, generating more than 1.5 million views and over 197,000 likes already.
In 2022, Grace was diagnosed with inherited glaucoma after her owners noticed that her right eye had become bigger than the left. An ophthalmologist warned them that the pressure in her right eye would be causing her "significant pain," and they recommended surgically removing the eye.
While Salmela and her partner were able to manage the condition of her left eye for some time, this year they learned that the pressure had increased in her left eye and that needed to be removed too.
"We managed her left eye with medicated drops four times a day to control the pressure, but by 2024, during a routine check-up, our vet informed us that the drops were no longer effective," Salmela told Newsweek.
"The only way to fully relieve her discomfort was to remove her remaining eye. This was an incredibly difficult decision, as we didn't want to subject Grace to another surgery. However, it was the only solution to ensure she would be free from the pain caused by the glaucoma."
By the time her left eye was removed, the vet assured Salmela that Grace had already lost all vision , so removing it wouldn't impact her quality of life. They hoped it would actually improve it, as she'd be out of pain.
Grace hasn't let either of the surgeries slow her down or stop her from enjoying life, leaving her owners constantly marveling at her courage.
"Although it was a tough choice, we ultimately knew it was the best way to keep Grace comfortable and pain-free.
"It's truly amazing how resilient Grace is. Even though she can't see, she relies on her keen sense of hearing and smell to navigate and live a happy life. My husband and I are continually impressed by how she can find her water bowl on her own. Sometimes, when I leave her in another room, I'll turn around and find her right beside me," Salmela continued.
Whenever it looks like Grace might bump into something , Salmela will call out "careful" and the dog immediately changes direction or adjusts her bearings.
The Social Media Reaction
After sharing the clip of Grace on social media, Salmela has been delighted by the positive responses. She hopes it will show people that all dogs are capable of living happy lives, regardless of circumstance.
She said: "It fills me with joy to see all the love Grace is receiving, and to have a platform to show that dogs can live fulfilling lives even with disabilities. Despite her blindness, Grace's sassy personality remains unchanged, continuing to bring us joy and entertainment daily."
The viral TikTok post has already gained more than 180 comments, as internet users praised the undeniable bond that Grace has with her grandma .
One comment reads: "Awww how she snuggles into your mum."
Another TikToker wrote: "she's like, unhand me right now, my grandma is here!"
A different user added: "Her lil wiggle when she realizes."
This story was originally published September 20, 2024, 11:00 AM.
