And wouldn’t you also agree that it shouldn’t matter how they look, or what their disabilities might be?

Well, regardless of an animal lovers’ best intentions, it remains true that special needs animals often get the short end of the stick.

For example, consider the case of Keller, an Australian shepherd, who just so happens to be a double merle.

If you’re unaware, double merles have interesting fur; they boast beautiful combinations of black, white, brown and gray.

Poor Keller was on the chopping block once and it had nothing to do with his hair or personality. No, it had to do with the downside of being a double merle:

Such dogs are unfortunately prone to disabilities such as blindness and deafness, and sometimes, they’re born with both debilitating problems.

Keller was one such unlucky pup, as she was born blind and deaf, and the breeder had just planned to shoot her. It was going to be too tough to deal with her.

But one dog lover learned what was about to happen and immediately stepped in.  She just couldn’t let Keller die!

Furthermore, when the new owner started learning more about double merles, she decided to take another very big step:

She started Keller’s Cause, an organization dedicated to changing the world for double merles, “by educating, advocating, and promoting the adoption of special needs dogs.”

Now, Keller is a very happy and active pooch, and she lives with two double merle friends, Calamity and Braille.

And so what if Keller has a few handicaps? She’s still a VERY smart dog!

Keller already knows over 25 different commands, all given by touch and tactile cues. She proves every single day just how amazing she really is.

Just think, not that long ago, Keller was about to die…and all because of one very concerned dog lover, Keller is now alive and healthy.

On top of which, Keller’s plight has likely saved many more double merles thanks to the new foundation she’s named after.

It’s one thing to hear a sad story and just say, “aw, that’s too bad.” It’s quite another to take action and DO something about it.

We applaud Keller’s Cause and hope animal lovers throughout the world will consider adopting special needs dogs like these incredible double merles!

Sources: Animals Being Cute, Keller’s Cause

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