Adorable Blind Pug Helps Victims of Child Abuse (PHOTOS)

In January 2013, Xander met his guardians Rodney and Marcie Beedy during his stay at the Klamath Animal Shelter in Oregon. Xander immediately caught their attention as he was a bit different from the rest of the dogs at the shelter — he was a puppy with no eyes.

According to Herald News, there was an accident and Xander’s eyes had to removed, rendering him permanently blind at a young age.

However, this hurdle has not paralyzed him. In fact, Xander is just as active and personable as any other dog. And so while his physical characteristic initially intrigued the Beedy’s, it was his personality that fully won them over.

“I loved him,” said Rodney via BuzzFeed. “Just his personality and everything, I was saying ‘I take this dog, he’s going to make a fantastic therapy dog.’”

And indeed, Rodney was right. In one of Xander’s basic obedience classes where there was a test to see how well he would respond to any injured person, Rodney told Herald News that Xander “titled his head, pulled Marcie, and started giving [the injured person] kisses.”

Not long after, Xander became a certified therapy dog, specializing in helping victims of child abuse. He works with organizations such as Klamath-Lake CARES and Hands and Words are not for Hurting.

Michael Kaibel, violence prevention specialist at Hands and Words are not for Hurting, told Herland News that “he hopes Xander can help get the message out that animals are part of the family, and should be included when victims seek help,” citing that “violence against animals can be part of the family violence system.”

Since his certification, Xander has been comforting children…

…and bringing smiles to their faces.

He was born good-natured…

…and his kind heart can win over anyone of any age!

 “If I was blind and in a crowd of people on top of me I would be freaking out. He has no qualms whatsoever. He has a good, stable temperament,” Rodney said via Herald News.

When Xanders’s not working, sometimes you can find him in a tux…

…or just relaxing with his guardians. As Rodney told Herald News, “[Xander’s] just another dog … he still wants to play and do everything a normal dog does” — in addition to inspiring lives, of course.