Meet Smiley, the blind therapy dog.

Meet Smiley, the blind therapy dog.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/12/smiley-blind-therapy-dog_n_6848866.html

'Smiley the golden retriever knows better than anyone that love is blind.

The 12-year-old pooch was born with a condition linked to dwarfism that -- in addition to him being born without eyes -- left him with physical disproportions. His oversized teeth paired with his eye sockets, which were sewn shut to prevent infection, make him look like he’s smiling; hence his name.

Rescued in 2004 from a puppy mill by Joanne George, his current owner, Smiley now has a happy home and is a therapy dog in Stouffville, Ontario.

“He does something to people,” George told The Huffington Post. “People say they feel like a different person after meeting Smiley.”'

'She brings Smiley to funerals and visitations to sit with children who are experiencing a death close to them. The presence of a dog helps relieve the sadness surrounding them in these moments, she said. Smiley also visits a local library to sit with children with autism who have difficulty reading, and spends time in classrooms for students with special needs.

“These kids who were born with different disabilities are able to see that dogs, too, are born with the same disabilities,” George told HuffPost. “It’s important for them to see that Smiley has overcome, and that he’s happy.”'