Faces of No-Kill: Dog with cloudy eyes has sunny future

Pepper arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with cloudy eyes but a sunny future.

This pint-sized pup with a squishy little nose and a blocky head came from a shelter in Texas as part of Best Friends’ efforts to move adoptable dogs and cats out of the area after devastating floods hit central Texas in July. This freed up shelter space to keep displaced pets close to home, and it gave pets like Pepper a fresh start.

Pepper’s fresh start began with taking care of her health. She had an upper respiratory infection, and she had been exposed to distemper — a contagious virus that affects a dog’s breathing, digestion, and nervous system. Also, her eyes were cloudy, and veterinarians weren’t sure why yet. On top of all that, she also had heartworms.

[Nine things to know about heartworm disease]

Because of her medical needs and distemper exposure, Pepper needed a quiet place without other dogs where she could rest and recover. That's when Angie and Aaron Dinneen raised their hands to help by fostering her.

“We’ve always had a soft spot for pit bull-type dogs,” says Angie. “Within just a few hours of meeting her, we knew we had to bring her home as a foster pet.”

At Angie and Aaron’s home, Pepper settled in like she’d been there all along. “We sat quietly with her in the living room, letting her know in the softest ways that she was safe and we were here to help her through whatever she needed,” says Angie. “She cozied up with us on the couch to relax until bedtime. When it was time to sleep, she curled up with us in bed and slept soundly through the night.”

That calm, quiet routine wasn’t just comforting — it was exactly what Pepper needed to heal. And heal she did. Best Friends veterinarians discovered her cloudy eyes were due to her upper respiratory infection, and with some antibiotics and eye medication, her eyes cleared up within a few days. Now, her blue eyes are the color of shiny rocks tumbling along the bottom of a sparkling stream.  

And soon she received the all-clear that she didn’t have distemper and no longer needed to be quarantined.

“We watched Pepper’s eyes clearing more every day, but even more beautiful was witnessing her personality unfold,” Angie says. “Each day revealing a little more of her playful, loving spirit.”

With her eyes bright, her respiratory infection gone, and her spirits lifted, Pepper blossomed in their care. After just a few weeks, Aaron and Angie knew Pepper was home for good and adopted her.  

[Learn more about adoptable dogs at Best Friends]

Pepper is still in the midst of completing her treatment for heartworms, but she’s doing great. Through it all, rest is key.

She’s enjoying the simple things: naps, squishy hugs from her new family (and anyone she meets — she’s never met a stranger), easy walks, and leisurely paddleboard rides under clear blue skies.

“Pepper is a gentle little soul, a true munchkin with a heart full of love,” says Angie. “She leans in close for cuddles and gifts us with the softest, most tender kisses.”

With pep in her step, a gentle spirit, and a heart full of cuddles, this pocket-sized pooch has blossomed into the dog she was always meant to be. What began with cloudy eyes is now nothing but clear skies.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.