Boston Loves Its Blind Chihuahua

A blind eight-month-old Chihuahua has captured the attention of the city of Boston, and now Beantown residents are cheering because the adorable, sickly pup just survived serious brain surgery.

Little Jonah's public saga began last month when he was found abandoned in the bottle recycling center of a local Stop & Shop supermarket. He was blind and scared, but the folks at the MSPCA-Boston took him in and named him Jonah because he loved sleeping in a fish-shaped bed.

It was immediately obvious that Jonah was blind, but pretty quickly a more serious health-issue emerged -- a serious brain condition.

"The brain had compressed into a thin shell lining the skull. His head was filled with fluid,'' Brian Adams, spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told The Boston Globe. "The pressure meant he would've certainly died without the surgery."

Without money for the pricey surgery, the MSPCA set up a site for donations, www.mspca.org/jonah, and money poured in from around the world.

On Thursday, he received the life-saving surgery he needed. Doctors were heartened when he woke up several hours later and could breathe on his own. But vets still need a few days to determine his long-term prognosis.

Assuming he heals well, he won't have any trouble finding a new home. The MSPCA says more than 50 families have come forward with offers to adopt the cutie-pie.

Here's wishing Jonah a speedy recovery, and a long dog's life.

Photo courtesy of adria.richards via Flickr.