Alfie and Eye

Alfie and Eye
By: Rick Bernard

After my beloved Yorkie Bene had passed I no longer had his little soul to talk to, life went silent. Feeling lost I wanted to volunteer at something. I adopted our local park & soon had our first dog meet & greet. Our group identified an alarming amount of crime in our own community. I researched an idea of eyes on the neighborhood & dog walkers. I presented a program to our Crime Prevention Unit, by National Night Out, called the Dog Walker Watch. We teaming up with our Whole Foods & put together National Night Out event at the store to promote the Dog Walker Watch. I received an email from Vivian of The Silicon Valley Pet Project. I love dogs & helping them find a home I wanted to included them in the event.

I soon creating a FB page as a way to promote the Dog Walker Watch & topic of dog information within our community. As a follower, the SV Pet Project FB page, I'd share over events & information to our page. I found myself watching dogs they had rescued in need of a home. With all my volunteering there was something missing my in life. Friends asked "why don't you adopt a dog". My reply would be I've adopted a community of dogs through our events. But I found myself viewing dogs on the SV Pet Project, but I'd just cry, thinking to myself not yet.

I got a notice of a new post on SV Pet Project. As I always do, I checked it out to decide if was a topic I could share on our social page. There he was, a little Yorkie in the arms of his foster care. He had been rescued & he had one damaged eye. This little guy & I had something in common. We both only could see with one eye, having lost mine through several surgeries. With limited vision myself I knew things he'd have to adjust & learn. With one eye you lose depth perception & peripheral vision. I had to save this little guy. Weeks later & the guiding comfort & continued support of The Silicon Valley Pet Project team. Little Alfie is now a part of my life.

Alfie came into my life only being about six months old. It had been so many years since I'd raised a dog from a pup. But weeks, months have went by. Through it all we had a team on our side. A huge thank you to Melissa & all from The Silicon Valley Pet Project. They have done so much to guide, calm, educate, & more to make the process of adoption a joyful one. Alfie's become the loving little soul in my life. I continue to volunteer to bound our community & at a days end & a new morning shines there's that little face that looks up at me. He's my little Alfie, the little soul that now walks by my side.


Editor's Comment: This is the second in our series of "SVPP Adopter's Stories" about how their adopted pet came into their family and changed their lives. We encourage all of our adopters to share their stories with us by contacting us at info@svpetproject.org.