Blind dog beaten by previous owner has been given the gift of sight.

Blind dog beaten by previous owner has been given the gift of sight.
A blind Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was rescued by the RSPCA after being beaten by his owner has been given the gift of sight by experts at the Animal Health Trust (AHT).

18-month-old Dodger - who is now looking for a new home - was born completely deaf and with severe cataracts in both his eyes, making him almost entirely blind.

Dodger’s story hit the headlines after his owner was caught hitting him, and the footage was posted online. His owner was subsequently prosecuted for animal cruelty and banned from keeping dogs for 15 years.

Following his rescue the RSPCA team sought advice from the AHT’s Ophthalmologists, based in Kentford, near Newmarket, to see if Dodger’s sight problems could be rectified.

Claudia Hartley, the AHT’s Head of Small Animal Ophthalmology, said: “Dodger is the most adorable dog. As soon as he arrived I fell in love with him and it wasn’t long before he’d work his charm on the rest of the vets and nurses here!”

The AHT’s vets initially performed cataract surgery on Dodger’s right-eye and it became apparent very quickly that he was able to see again.

Kirstyn Gaunt, Deputy Manager at the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre, in March, Cambridgeshire, where Dodger is currently staying, said: “Dodger is an amazing dog and everyone who meets him instantly falls in love with him.

“He is just such a loveable character, and when it was discovered he was deaf and unable to see clearly, we wanted to do all we could to give him a second chance. We were all in tears when we heard the AHT could carry out the operation for him and give him the gift of sight again – we are so extremely grateful to them for their help.”