The Blind Dog and The Prince - A True Christmas Story

Blind Dog Rescue UK is honoured to announce the appointment of His Serene Highness Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern as patron. Here is a true Christmas Story that tells the wonderful tale of our patron's very special dog.

The Blind Dog and The Prince - A True Christmas Story

Once upon a time, a young, beautiful puppy was left alone in the backstreets of the island of Rhodes. He had been shot and had struggled alone for six weeks. Nearly dead from his injuries, heat exhaustion, infection and fever, he was discovered by Bettina, a brave Swiss lady who lived locally. She saw the gravely ill dog, stopped and put him in her car, not fearing that the large dog might bite her. She called the local rescue centre to ask for financial help for the surgery needed to treat the shot wound and drove the dog to the local vet. Like newborn horses that are named as soon as they are born to make them feel called, and to protect them from dying, she named the injured dog Alexis. 'A', the first letter of the alphabet and the first vowel to give him strength.

When the surgery was finished Bettina took Alexis home to recover. She believed Alexis still had some sight in his remaining eye. Despite his sight loss, Alexis' independent spirit led to several escapes from the property and he had to be moved to a local kennel for his own safety. He waited there for many months until he could travel to a foster home in Germany.

Meanwhile a widower in Southern England, closer to his own end and hoping that his good deeds may one day outweigh his sins, decided to no longer have a pedigree dog and instead he would open his home to a disadvantaged animal without much chance of finding a forever home. The Prince found his dogless home akin to living without sunlight; dark and cold. He was sent videos of several rescue dogs, and he chose Alexis - the one-eyed dog.

So, Alexis' Guardian Angel visited a second time and he arrived in the stately home of a real-life Prince. His Serene Highness Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern. Alexis swapped a hard kennel floor for silk rugs, warmed goats milk each morning and constant companionship and love from his new master. Donatus recalls Alexis' arrival and how he instantly navigated his way around the Manor House and estate. Believing Alexis to be partially sighted it soon became obvious after collisions with trees and obstacles that he had no sight at all. Both visited a specialist vet who confirmed that Alexis was completely blind. On hearing this new Donatus told Alexis: 'I will take care of you as long as you live.'

The Prince made a few adjustments to help Alexis navigate safely, including marking the corners of doors, walls, tables, and toys with highly scented oils. He taught Alexis the commands 'be careful' and 'stop' and Alexis could run off the lead, navigated by the commands 'left' and 'right'. Within a short time, both developed an incredible bond, dedication and attachment that Donatus had not experienced with any of his previous dogs.

Prince Donatus learned that Alexis uses his senses to combine what he can hear, feel, and smell around him to create in his own memory map; a three-dimensional space in which he moves, like a colourless aquatint landscape. Because of his interest in organising space within his mind and memory, Alexis is keen to help with tasks, in particular opening parcels. This is not 'playing' because after one parcel is opened he stops and carefully and methodically opens the next parcel. Once, The Prince was assembling a sofa and was fixing a leg in place when Alexis intervened, touched his nose to the the sofa leg and then to The Prince's hand turning the leg in a clockwise motion. Alexis then took over this task and turned the leg clockwise by himself.

Alexis, the dog who suffered pain and desperation and nearly died, lives his life now as an animal dearly loved by all staff and visitors who often gather in the golden Music Room of the Manor House. The musicians stop their chamber music when Alexis walks amongst them as he navigates his way through the forest of music stands.

Prince Donatus admits that he would never have adopted Alexis had he known then that he was completely blind. He did not know that blindness in dogs is not the same as blindness in humans. Prince Donatus wants to invite everyone to open their hearts and minds to the idea of adopting a sight-limited dog. Any limitations in sight are made up for twice over by their deep love for their owner. Donatus says: "I learned in my work for Arts4Dementia that the diagnosis of a heavy condition is not yet the end. In the time before dusk is falling, we live a deeper self-aware life than ever before. Every hour we have together gets all of a sudden more precious than gold."

No fairy tale would be complete without treacherous moments and times of peril and this real life fairy tale for Alexis, even after arriving in the safety of the Manor House, is no different.

Alexis knows who he is and he loves hunting. On the first day after his arrival at the Manor House, he disappeared two miles away from the house and Donatus reluctantly had to return home without him. After two hours, Alexis, after climbing over fences and pulling open kissing gates, appeared in good spirits on the driveway. Eventually though, the day came when he ran off hunting and did not return. Donatus, the staff and friends searched for him but to no avail. Two local young men were walking on the grounds of the estate when they heard that a dog was missing and they joined the search party. They managed to find a distraught Alexis caught in overgrown brambles and injured themselves to free him. They helped Alexis back to the driveway where Donatus found them and they captured this moment in this photo.

After Alexis settled into life at the Manor House Donatus took him for a trip to the seaside. Alexis had clearly known the sea from his life in Rhodes and he jumped into the water with joy. All of a sudden the dog ran to his master and Donatus realised his fear that he might be dropped back in to homelessness and reassured Alexis by keeping him tight.

After another solo hunting expedition, Alexis did not manage to find his way back home and his Guardian Angel visited for a third time. Lost and confused, Alexis had chosen to sit in the middle of a busy main road near to the estate, directly behind the brow of a hill. The blind dog was moments away from being struck by a car. Fortunately, a young motorcyclist drove by and realising that something was wrong jumped off his motorbike and stopped the traffic in both directions. Neighbours came out from their homes to help the young man and they took Alexis home. Donatus tried to find this young man to express his gratitude. He failed to find him through local social media but received hundreds of enthusiastic messages from people applauding the young unknown hero.

In total sixteen people in Greece, Germany and England gave up their time and resources independently and without any benefit other than to help blind Alexis survive against all the odds.

"For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands." Psalm 91:11-12

https://mailchi.mp/cb9d3050c19c/bdruk-christmas-newsletter-8330280

Blind Dog Rescue Uk
156 Cabin Lane Oswestry,
Shropshire
SY11 2PF
United Kingdom
Press Contact - Katy Orton
info@bdruk.org

Blind Dog Rescue UK is a small charity dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of blind and partially sighted dogs. We work with rescuers throughout Europe to save, provide urgent veterinary assistance for, and find these dogs forever homes in the UK.
https://www.bdruk.org/

This release was published on openPR.