Blind newborn puppy with special sniffer left to waste away on beach gets rescued by cat pawrent who despite disliking dogs, saw nothing more than a sweet four pawed soul in need of saving: ‘Despite everything, he's growing and getting stronger!’

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Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Sep 20, 2026 8:15 AM EDT

Finding a puppy on a beach by some rocks is already an event that could be considered to be out of the ordinary. But when that puppy turns out to be blind and facially different from others, you have quite the unique and curious tale of canine rescue on your paws.

While we would rather not focus on this poor puppy's physical condition, it is how his story came to be shared with the world. It all began when his to-be pawrent turned to ask some vets for help online. Having randomly found a tiny puppy draped over some rocks on the beach our cat loving rescuer was unsure how to handle the situation that had been put before them. There lay a puppy, seemingly only a few weeks old, but something did not look right about it. Its eyes looked off and there was something strange going on with its face. Nonetheless, our rescuer scooped up the poor pup and took it home.

But it wasn't until a visit at an actual vet that it was determined that this pup was indeed blind and had a cleft palate. Now, why did we say earlier that we rather not discuss this pup's problems? Well, it is because none of these 'problems' actually caused this pup any pain, delay in development or any other kind of trouble. He is a fit and healthy pup by all accounts and while he might look a little different and relies more on his nose than his eyes. He still loves the same, he still wants for the same excitement, intrigue and playtime as any other dog. He is just special in his own way as so many other doggos are. 
 

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  • 01
    "He's getting very chunky. The vet actually told me that I'm feeding him a little too much lol."
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    Puppy with cleft palate.

    Image for illustrative purposes.


     

  • 02
    We found this tiny puppy abandoned in a really strange place near some rocks at the beach. There was no sign of the mother anywhere and honestly it didn't even look like a place where a dog would normally give birth.
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    He seemed to be about a week old or possibly even younger when I found him. And he looks smaller than how i thought a puppy would be. I have no idea what breed he is.
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    I'm a cat person and I've never raised a puppy before, so I have basically zero experience with newborn puppies and dogs in general. I've been feeding him multiple times a day and trying my best to keep him clean and comfortable.
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    But I recently noticed that his face/eyes don't look like the pictures of newborn puppies I've found online. His nose also seems like it's split into two in a strange way and I'm really worried about his eyes. They don't just look closed because he's young ...t hey almost
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    look hollow or empty, and I'm scared that he might be blind or that something is wrong with how his eyes developed. I'm really hoping I'm just being paranoid and that this is normal for a puppy this young.
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  • Wow, well that is a whole lot to unpack right there. From the sounds of it this is a runt of a littler that recently came to the world and either his dog momma or hooman pawrents decided that he was not fit for life. Which is hard to contest considering this pup’s condition, but it does not mean that he is not deserving of life. A fact that this cat pawrent fully believed in and is what prompted her to take pity on the poor puppy. Who knows how much longer this tiny creature could have held up against the rising tide.
     

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    Does this look normal for a newborn puppy? Could he be blind? And does he need to see a vet urgently? I'm currently in a really difficult financial situation and honestly can't afford much right now, but I'm willing to do whatever I
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    reasonably can to keep this little guy alive. If a vet visit is necessary, I'll try to figure something out. I'd really appreciate advice from people who have experience with newborn puppies. I can also provide more pictures if that helps. Thank you
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    I wanted to give everyone an update on the tiny puppy I found abandoned. Yes he's a puppy dog not a Coyote xD Thanks to a kind donation, I was finally able to take him to the vet.
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    Unfortunately, we found out that he most likely is blind (He also has a facial defect and a cleft palate. The good news is that, according to the vet, it doesn't seem to require surgery at the moment, so we're just keeping an eye on him and making sure he's doing well.
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    Despite everything, he's growing and getting stronger! He has already started teething and even took his first little steps. He's also getting very chunky The vet actually told me that I'm feeding him a little too much lol.
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  • What a wonder that with all the issues this doggo is, he is technically totally fine. It just goes to show how much your own definition of being normal, healthy and functioning can influence your decisions. Someone considered a blind dog with some superficial disfigurement to be unworthy of a life well lived. As though it would never be able to experience love or share it with others. But they were so deeply mistaken in their assessment. We are truly lucky to have people in this world with such wide and open hearts. People just like this cat pawrent could very well be the reason you end up finding the canine love of your life at your local rescue. 
     

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    He's still doing welland I'm so happy to see him growing and becoming more active every day. Thank you so much to everyone who commented, messaged me, gave advice, offered help, or simply cared about this little guy. I
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    really didn't expect so many people to care about him, and it means a lot to me. I'll keep you guys updated on his progress.
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    clay-teeth First-Time Owner Im so happy!! I was worried for both of you when I saw the first post
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    abfukson First-Time Owner The most wholesome update! Thank you OP, you're a hero and a sweetheart!
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paws left dogs sweet dog saving soul puppy beach reddit story waste sniff blind dog story newborn dislike special cat pawrents rescue
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