Blind Golden Retriever Gets His Own 'Seeing Eye Dog'

When Charlie, an 11-year-old dog from South Carolina lost both his eyes because of glaucoma, his owners decided to get him a companion — sort of like his own "seeing eye" dog.  

That's where Maverick comes in. The 4-month-old pup was brought into the family around New Year's.

"Maverick is here to help Charlie around and Charlie is trying to teach Maverick manners," the dogs' owners wrote on their new Instagram page, "definitely a work in progress." 

They shared a video of Charlie and Maverick fighting over a toy. For a blind pup, Charlie held his own – and for a little pup, Maverick did, too. 

Maverick isn't the only new addition to the family. The dogs' parents, Chelsea and Adam Stipe, recently had their first child, a baby boy. Now, Maverick is helping Charlie navigate his new role as a big brother. Hearing strange new baby squeals could be confusing for a blind pup. 

The symbiotic dogs went viral thanks to a popular Twitter account, "We Rate Dogs." The parody account, which always gives cute pups high ratings, gave the duo a 14/10. 

In just three days, the dogs' news Instagram account has gained more than 43,000 followers. On the account, Charlie and Maverick share updates on their lives, which usually consists of chewing toys together – and fighting over them – and then taking dog naps side by side. 

First published on March 22, 2019 / 12:41 PM

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