A 'ruff' start... Athboy pup wins bravery award after losing sight
An Athboy family and their Bernese Mountain Dog have shown true resilience and bravery in their pup's short lifetime. Four year-old Alfie tragically lost both of his eyes as a result of being knocked down by a van at the beginning of 2025.
Alfie's owner Donal Glennon told the Meath Chronicle that Alfie began to adapt to life after the accident faster than expected.
"He was able to navigate around the table and chairs and couches in the house," Donal said. Alfie is also a Gaeilgeoir dog, and Donal was able to warn Alfie in Irish when he was about to walk into something.
"I would say 'balla, balla, balla' (the Irish word for 'wall') when Alfie was about to walk into a wall or a hard surface, and he began to slow down before doing so."
Donal, who is a farmer, got Alfie with his wife Niamh for his daughters, Aoife and Meabh back in 2021 as a Christmas gift after their other dog passed away. Alfie was a perfectly healthy puppy when he first joined the Glennon family.
Unfortunately, when Alfie got out onto the road at the beginning of last year, the accident was just the beginning of his trips to the vet.
After losing sight in one eye and subsequently having it removed, Alfie's ongoing discomfort was obvious to his family, resulting in his second eye being removed.
"It was a big decision. We wondered if it was the most humane thing to do, but we said we would stick with Alfie, and help him to navigate life again."
By August of 2025, more than six months after Alfie's accident, Donal noticed that Alfie's stomach appeared to be swollen. Donal rang the vet and they confirmed that Alfie had a twisted stomach, which required operating on.
"Two days after his stomach operation, we got to bring Alfie home again. We were encouraging him to eat but a week later, the same thing happened. I rang the vet and brought Alfie in again. His stomach had twisted for the second time."
"There is only a five per cent chance this will happen to a dog in their lifetime, and it happened to Alfie twice in one week."
At this stage, Alfie had had four operations in under a year, all before his fifth birthday. After his fourth operation, Alfie was finally on the mend.
"At first, Alfie wouldn't take his medication. I would make something called the 'Alfie roll', where I would put white pudding and brown sauce mixed in with his medication to get him to take them, like a doggy breakfast roll."
Now Alfie spends his days with Donal on the farm while his daughters are at school, with Donal calling him "the third child."
Alfie has proven that disability does not limit ability and now lives happily and confidently, using his other senses to navigate the world around him.
Donal and his family give huge credit to Padraig Farrell at Oaktree Vets in Trim for Alfie's recovery. Donal said: "Only that Padraig is as good as he is, we wouldn't be as good as we are. Alfie wouldn't be here without Padraig and his team at the veterinary clinic."
Alfie is six months post operation as of February 2026 and has deservingly won the Bravery Dog Award at The Golden Paw Hero Dog Awards 2026 hosted by the Irish Kennel Club.
"Alfie winning this award is the first lucky thing that has happened to him," Donal laughed.
The awards aim to find and reward Ireland’s most courageous, brave and life changing canines in order to honour the love, companionship and service they give us on a day-to-day basis.
Fellow Bernese Mountain Dog lover and Athboy woman Alma McClorey posted Alfie's story to Instagram page 'Meath Bernese' titled 'Blind, Not Broken' before nominating Alfie for The Golden Paw Hero Dog Bravery Award 2026.
Alfie and his family will receive an award in honour of his bravery, which is more than well deserved. He truly is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.
The awards, sponsored by Agria, will take place this Saturday 21st February at The Keadeen Hotel, Co Kildare, where the winners of each category will be walking the red carpet and sharing their amazing stories and an overall winner will be chosen.