A 6-year-old blind border collie named Jacko needed to leave the shelter he had been living in for more than a year in the UK immediately. His living condition was stressful, and it appeared that he was running out of time to locate a family.
When Jacko had almost given up hope, the ideal application showed up.
“Jacko struggled in kennels,” Cassie Mogford, Many Tears Animal Rescue volunteer, told The Dodo. “[Because he couldn’t see,] he would get stressed by the noise. And, though he was very popular with all the staff and we would fill his days as much as possible every day, it was never as good as what a home could offer.”
Jacko maintained a cheerful disposition despite his situation. Shelter volunteers noted he’s “extremely cuddly, affectionate, intelligent and a very happy lovely boy.” But due to Jacko’s need for gentle, slow introductions, potential adoptions took time.
“We made the decision that Jacko should be rehomed in a calm environment, with one or two people, so that he could build trust,” Mogford said. “Plus, [someone with] a large, secure area that he could safely and securely run around in without having to go out on the streets and public playing areas.”
The shelter also decided he should live in an adult-only home, which narrowed the pool of adopters even further. Then came Sue.
“Sue saw a video on TikTok that we made of Jacko once he had been with us for one year,” Mogford said. “She came to meet Jacko after filling out her application form and fell in love. Our staff then took Jacko personally to her home to ensure that his journey was as stress-free as possible and to ensure that he was set up for a successful introduction to his new dog friends and home.”
The application went through, and Jacko immediately bonded with his new mom, Sue.
“Jacko now lives in the perfect location,” Mogford said. “Sue has worked wonders with him. She has acres of land for Jacko to run free, and she’s a dog trainer with experience [training] blind dogs. We couldn’t have asked for a better home!”
You can watch Jacko enjoying his freedom run here:
@manytearsanimalrescue JACKO WENT HOME!! #manytears #dogrescue #rescuedog #gotchaday #collie #specialdog #rescuelife ♬ At Last – Etta James
“I knew he was for me right from the start,” Sue told The Dodo. “He was a bit institutionalized at first and struggled with his new regime of complete freedom, and his manners with the other dogs have sometimes been a little off, but that is a work in progress. He warmed up to me very quickly.”
And, though Jacko isn’t interested in playing ball or tug-of-war, he adores playtime with Sue’s other dog, Zoom.
“I have been going through a rough patch lately, and having Jacko [and Zoom] to concentrate on has helped lift my spirits,” Sue said. “He really does deserve a chance at a forever home. I have the utmost respect for the team at the rescue and all they have done to get this dog [to this point].”
Not only did Jacko find a forever home with a fun, new brother, but he also has space to run as fast and as free as he wants — and he’s loving every second of it.
