Entrant's Name
Opal

Pet's Quirks
Opal is very fond of doing the "bark of joy"! Nose in the air, she barks when she hears her kibble hit the bowl (she can't see it because she's blind), the jingle of the leash, or her humans returning home. She also does it when she realizes she's going to the vet because they give her peanut butter on a stick. She is also fond of garbage raiding and once ate her human brother's Halloween candy--in their wrappers! And YES, she's a Jets fan!

Pet's Story
We adopted Opal from Mississippi when she was 7 years old. She'd been surrendered from a domestic violence situation and then bounced around foster homes. She was a bit crazy! She barked and lunged at strangers on walks and tried to get in everyone's car. But with lots of training and even more treats, she got the hang of suburban Jersey life and is a joyful, goofy dog. Sadly, she went blind from SARDS in fall 2023. But she took it with her signature joyfulness and goofiness, mapping the house and the neighborhood with extraordinary accuracy, still bounding headfirst into every situation and loving it. Since her blindness, we don't play fetch anymore, but she's taken to scent training and other things that don't require sight. And when she begs, she still gives the best puppy dog eyes in town!