Dog’s first day back at daycare after having both eyes removed—”Missed you”

A dog owner has shared the heartwarming moment her Chow Chow Meisha returned to doggy daycare after having both of her eyes removed.

“I had never imagined five months ago how a blind dog could function, and I had never met a blind dog, so Meisha has taught us so much,” Jessica Hamel told Newsweek.

The 6-year-old dog lost her eyes due to a series of health complications, but recently returned to her favorite place—doggy daycare—where heartwarming footage saw her reunited with her friends.

Hamel, who lives in Alberta, Canada, noticed there may be a problem with Meisha’s eyes earlier this year when she saw some redness and took her to the vet who treated her for a possible eye infection. But it soon became clear that there was a more serious issue.

“We soon realized her pupil was dilated, and the vet suspected glaucoma, which could affect her other eye,” Hamel explained. “We began treating her with eye drops, but Meisha continued to experience discomfort. Her left eye lost its vision, and in September, she suddenly went blind.”

This devastating moment took Hamel and Meisha straight to the vet, where it was decided that removing the left eye altogether would relieve her pain. But the process wasn’t without its challenges.

“After dropping her off for surgery, I received a call that her blood white count was low, and she had to take steroids for a week to reduce the risk of bleeding during surgery,” said Hamel. “When we brought her back for the surgery, they discovered that the pressure in her right eye was even higher than her left. In a difficult decision, we chose to remove both eyes in one procedure to prevent further suffering.”

The recovery process was tough for both Meisha and her owner who barely left her side: “Meisha’s first night after surgery was filled with crying, but I laid with her to provide comfort. We adjusted our home to make it safer for her and took short walks, offering lots of treats. She had to wear a cone when left alone, but by day 5, it was like Meisha was back, and she began to regain her smile,” she said.

Today, Meisha is adapting remarkably well to her new life without vision. Hamel joked: “Honestly, I think she’s faking this blindness thing because everything is pretty much normal. She navigates in the house and on walks perfectly. The only sad thing is that she doesn’t look out of the car window anymore.”

Now weeks after her surgery, Meisha was most excited to return to her much-loved doggy daycare center.

“She was so happy to see the staff and the other puppies at the daycare. Her smile said it all,” the owner said.

Filming the moment, she shared the journey back to daycare on her TikTok page @meishatheprettygirl where it has been viewed over 387,000 times.

“We love you Canine Reflections [doggy daycare] and we missed you,” the caption alongside the video said.

“I’ve found that many people have been through similar experiences and shared their stories. I want to show that even in difficult times, our pets can shine through and overcome battles. Meisha’s story is proof of that,” said Hamel.

In the comments, people shared their joy at seeing Meisha doing so well.

“This is such a sweet and touching video,” said one TikToker. While another wrote: “This brought me so much joy.”

Hamel hopes that sharing Meisha’s journey will inspire others not to give up on their animals in challenging times. “Our family hopes she lives many more years, and we love her so much,” she said.

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