I ask this question, not out of fear, but from the ache in my heart. I am a dog who has been living in darkness for what feels like forever. My eyes, once full of life, are now only shadows, blind to the world around me. I can no longer see the trees swaying in the wind or the sunlight streaming through the window. I can’t see your face or the way your lips curl into a smile when you’re happy. My world is a silence, a void of blackness that never ends.
Every day, I sit here in this shelter, surrounded by people who walk past me, sometimes pausing only to glance at me, but never staying long enough to offer a kind touch. I can’t see them, but I feel their presence. I hear their footsteps, the subtle movement in the air. But, despite my yearning, no one seems to want to come near me.
I can’t help but wonder: **Do I look scary to you?**
Perhaps it’s my eyes—or the lack of them—that makes you afraid. Perhaps it’s because I move slowly, uncertain of every step I take. The world is so different for me now, so much more difficult to navigate. Or maybe it’s my coat—rough in some places and patchy in others—that makes me seem like something you’d rather avoid. I know I don’t have the appearance of a young, healthy, vibrant dog. I know I look different, and that might make you uncomfortable.
But deep down, beneath all my uncertainties, I just want to be loved. I want to feel safe, to know that there’s someone out there who will look past my blindness and see my heart, the heart of a dog who wants nothing more than a family to call his own.
I may not have my sight, but I still have feelings. I still have emotions that, though unseen, are deeply real. When someone passes me by, I can feel the emptiness, the loneliness, in the air. I long for someone to see me for who I am—not as a “scary” or “broken” creature, but as a dog who is capable of loyalty and love.
You don’t have to see my eyes to know that I care. You don’t have to look at my imperfections to understand that I am full of warmth and affection. Every time I hear a voice nearby, I hope it’s yours. I hope that you’ll stop and see me—not with your eyes, but with your heart.
I may be blind, but I promise you, I am not helpless. I may look different, but inside, I am just like any other dog. I long to be loved and cared for. I long to be part of a family, to have someone who sees me for who I am, and not just for what they think I might be.
So, I ask again, with all the hope I can muster: **Do I look scary to you?** If only you could see through the darkness, through the things that make me different, you would know that I have nothing but love to give. And I hope that one day, someone will see that, and take a chance on me. Because I am waiting. Waiting for the love and affection that I know I deserve, even if I can’t see it with my eyes.
