Blind B.C. dog overcomes adversity through doggy dock diving
Ever since he was a puppy, Gryffin has seemed shy.
“He’s quiet,” Angela says about her white Labrador. “He’s quite reserved.”
But there were moments when Gryffin would reveal a different aspect of himself, like when he’d relish rolling in the mud (see the picture of her holding the pup, who appears more black than white) or help Angela with the Halloween decorations (see the video where she tells the dog she “needs a hand” and he brings her a fake severed arm).
“When you see those little sparks of energy, you know it’s something special,” Angela smiles.
But Angela also knew something was wrong when Gryffin started struggling to walk by her side.
“He was drifting away,” Angela recalls. “He wouldn’t even have a clue that he wasn’t beside me.”
After visiting a specialist, Gryffin was diagnosed with progressive retinal atrophy. About three months later, the dog was completely blind.
“I was crushed,” Angela says. “It’s an emotional rollercoaster to sort out your new normal.”
There’s video of Gryffin sitting at a table surrounded by his canine friends at a birthday party Angela threw for him, waiting patiently for permission to eat his cake. When Angela finally says Gryffin can take a bite, his brother (who can see) steals the slice from under him.
“I instantly gave him another piece,” Angela says. “I felt so bad for him.”
Angela went searching for something fun for Gryffin to do, but she couldn’t help wonder if attempting doggy dock diving — a sport gaining popularity across the country — would be a bust too.
Gryffin couldn’t watch how the other dogs at the Pooch Pool School effortlessly raced down a long dock and — before it ran out — launched themselves into a large pool towards a toy they could see in the water.
“At first, he was really confused,” Angela says. “And rightly so.”
But Gryffin could hear a beeping sound coming from a portable, waterproof speaker that Angela wrapped in floating foam.
She threw it off the dock, and with a little encouragement, Gryffin achieved a big success. He jumped in the pool and retrieved the speaker.
“It’s hard to keep him out of there now,” Angela smiles.
After dock diving a couple times now, Angela says Griffin is becoming more confident and she’s learning to never give up hope.
“He’s definitely made me a fierce advocate for him,” Angela says.
Although a pool may seem like it would extinguish “a little spark,” you just might find it ignites an inferno, instead: one of water-splashing and tail-wagging joy.
“It’s a chance (for Gryffin) to have fun,” Angela smiles. “And totally let his wild side show.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.