Prince Michael demonstrating Muffin鈥檚 Halo Guide for Blind Dogs outside the Courier鈥檚 office. Photo Dan Toulgoet
As white toy poodle Prince Michael confidently navigated the lunchroom of the Courier office Tuesday morning, the tiny dog continually bumped into walls and chairs.
But because of the headpiece he wearing Prince wasn鈥檛 fazed 鈥� or hurt 鈥� as he continued on his way checking out this new space.
Creator Silvie Bordeaux says the device, dubbed 鈥淢uffin鈥檚 Halo Guide for Blind Dogs,鈥� has given Prince a new sense of confidence. When Bordeaux adopted Prince three years ago after her beloved Muffin died, he was already blind.
鈥淚 adopted him from a woman who was dying and his name was Olaf,鈥� says Bordeaux, who was born in Montreal. 鈥淏ut I renamed him Prince Michael after the Jackson family, who helped me get my start, and promised him a charmed life.鈥�
Muffin鈥檚 Halo is a three-piece device made up of a harness, padded 鈥渁ngel wings,鈥� and a tube that encircles a dog鈥檚 face.
The Sherman Oaks Calif., resident was in 麻豆传媒映画for the annual Canadian Veterinary Medical Association conference, which ran July 5 to 8, to show off the halo, a three-piece device made up of a harness that wraps snuggly around a dog鈥檚 neck and torso as a way to make them feel less anxious, padded 鈥渁ngel wings,鈥� which protect the dog鈥檚 shoulders and head, and a lightweight band made up of wrapped copper tubing or 鈥渉alo鈥� that encircles the face. When the halo bumps into an object, it sends a signal to the dog and they move in another direction, which is exactly what Prince was demonstrating as he cruised the Courier office.
Bordeaux says while dogs navigate using the halo, they also use their nose and brain to begin mentally 鈥渕apping鈥� places they鈥檙e at most often, such as home or the dog park. That gives blind dogs a renewed sense of confidence and familiarity, says Bordeaux.
鈥淧eople have said to me, 鈥業 have my puppy back,鈥欌�� says Bordeaux, who adds that while dogs are living longer due to better care, it鈥檚 almost certain their eyes will begin to falter at some point. 鈥淭hat sunset is going to come down eventually.鈥�
Silvie Bordeaux was inspired to create Muffin鈥檚 Halo Guide for Blind Dogs after her (now deceased) senior toy poodle Muffin, went blind. In this photo Chloe looks on as Prince Michael navigates his way using the halo. Photo Dan Toulgoet
The inspiration for the halo was Muffin, Bordeaux鈥檚 senior toy poodle, which in 2012 began walking into walls and falling down stairs due to failing eyesight. When Muffin was diagnosed with a mass in his stomach and went through a botched surgery during which he was lacerated internally, Bordeaux says she got down on her knees and prayed for his survival. In her 鈥減act with God,鈥� Bordeaux promised if Muffin lived, she鈥檇 dedicate her life to helping as many blind dogs as possible. She says to date, that number is about 30,000.
鈥淲hen I started working on a prototype, I didn鈥檛 know anything about fabric or grommets or cutting,鈥� says Bordeaux. 鈥淚 turned all my bedrooms and living room into a studio and started working.鈥�
Today, Bordeaux has a small factory and team who build the devices, which come in a variety of sizes and designs, including a quarterback theme and military-inspired camouflage.Inspired by Muffin鈥檚 experience, Bordeaux created a non-profit foundation called Second Chances for Blind Dogs with a goal to supply shelter dogs with halos.
鈥淲hen people go to a shelter to adopt a dog and they see one in a halo moving around, it takes away the stigma,鈥� says Bordeaux. 鈥淪ome people think it鈥檚 too hard to keep a blind dog or they can鈥檛 afford the vet bill for them so they get dumped at shelters. But the halo changes that.鈥�
Bordeaux adds since it鈥檚 often senior dogs that needs a halo, once they die the owners typically donate the device to a shelter pet in need.
鈥淪o they donate the wings forward,鈥� says Bordeaux. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a wait list of dogs that need them. On the fourth of July I donated 15 halos so those dogs could celebrate their own Independence Day.鈥�
In 2014, Muffin鈥檚 Halo was named one of the Top 10 pet inventions by the Discovery Channel鈥檚 Daily Planet Show. While checking out reviews on Amazon online, there were 93 鈥減ositive鈥� posts compared to 42 鈥渃ritical,鈥� with fit seeming to be the biggest issue. The halos run between $80 and $140.
@sthomas10
