Lars and Kayla, the Lethal White Australian Shepherds

The Amazing Aussies group rescues “Lethal White” Australian Shepherds that are the result of Merle to Merle breeding. The following info was taken from their website. For in-depth information, click here to visit their site.

Aussies come in two acceptable colors, solid and merle. When merle to merle breeding is done, approximately 25% of the litter may show signs of deafness, blindness or a combination of the two. The defects can range from minor vision and hearing loss to complete deafness and blindness. Double merles can also be born without eyes or with eyes that have failed to develop properly. The term “lethal white” in reference to Aussies stems from the fact that these dogs have historically been destroyed at birth due to their impairments.

I was so impressed with these dogs!! They don’t call them “Amazing Aussies” for nothing!  They walked into my backyard and then into my studio like they owned the place. I was in awe at how they just sensed where things were and what was going on. They could even smell where the water bowl was. Seriously… how good of a nose must a dog have to be able to smell water. Oh, and trust me, they could definitely smell where the treats were hidden. They found those in seconds flat. They were incrediby affectionate and sweet. And did I mention that they are both available for adoption??

Here’s a little more info on Lars and Kayla that was provided by Amazing Aussies…

Lars is one of our “special” special needs dogs. Lars and his three siblings were born under a house. Their mom did the best she could to keep her babies safe by digging a den under the house for protection. His parents were both Blue Merle Aussies so the litter was the result of a double Merle breeding which can result in puppies that are deaf and blind. Lars was born both deaf and vision impaired. His three brothers and sisters found homes and he was left with his Mom and Dad and quite a few other dogs outside – a big barrel of dry dog food and a dish of dirty water. Thankfully, a concerned neighbor that adopted Lars’ brother and sister, heard the owners were thinking of “doing away” with the white puppy. She posted an ad on Craigslist asking for help and that is when Amazing Aussies got involved. We went the next day to pick up Lars. He was filthy, malnourished and had parasites. With some medicine, a few baths, good food and love, he is… our Lars.

Lars has developed into a beautiful boy, with intelligence, spirit and a passion for food and love. He loves to snuggle and is looking for his forever home.

 

Kayla was born both deaf and blind on a working ranch. The rancher was going to have her destroyed as she would be of no benefit to him. A local shelter heard of the “snowdog” (as she had become commonly referred to as) and agreed to take her in. They were concerned that they did not have the resources to properly care for a deaf and blind dog, so they contacted Best Friends Sanctuary , in Kanab, Utah. Best Friends then contacted Amazing Aussies Lethal White Rescue since they have a working relationship with each other. Kayla needed to take a trip almost clear across the country to get to Amazing Aussies, so the shelter drove for two days to get her to Best Friends and then Amazing Aussies picked her up from there.  

Kayla has been in rescue over a year and is looking for the special “forever home”. She is a special girl and the rescue cannot understand why her family has not come along yet. Kayla is good with everyone she meets, two legged or four legged and her disabilities do not affect her good natured attitude. She would be a special addition to any family…

 

Amazing Aussies has been a 501(3)(c) non profit organization since May of 2004 but rescued their first “Lethal White” in 1997.  Since 2004 approximately 250 dogs have been rescued locally and they have been involved in another 107 adoptions off of their Coast to Coast web site page.

You can contact Amazing Aussies by email at questions@amazingaussies.com or you can visit their website at www.amazingaussies.com.