Cocker spaniel Hero learns to see with his nose after both eyes removed
Hero, a cocker spaniel in Somerset, has learnt to navigate by scent after glaucoma led to both eyes being removed, and his owners say he is enjoying life.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A cocker spaniel named Hero has learnt to navigate by scent after both of his eyes were removed because of glaucoma.
Hero, who lives in Somerset with his owners Jane and Rob, had been with them for six years. In January they noticed he had become subdued, was clearly in pain and had one weeping eye. He did not want his food and was listless. On a short walk he walked into their legs, which they said was the first time they knew something was seriously wrong.
He was diagnosed with glaucoma and one eye was removed. Seven months later the condition was causing him pain again, and his second eye was removed. When he returned home, Hero shut down. But scent training he had had as a puppy came to his aid. With help from dog trainer Lucy, Hero learnt to see with his nose.
The report noted that dogs have about 300 million scent receptors, compared with about six million in humans, and that a blind dog may rely on them even more. The first time Hero returned to training after both eyes were removed, his trainer and owners spent an hour crying while watching him do things he had done before, but in a more specific way. The trainer described it as fantastic to watch.
A veterinary message ran alongside the story: glaucoma is hard to diagnose in dogs before it is too late, so outcomes are rarely positive. It is an inherited disease. Testing dogs affected by the disease before they breed could reduce its prevalence, so breeders or people planning to breed their pet should get their dog tested.
His owners, the Stuart Browns, said they are immensely proud of Hero. They said he has not let a significant setback destroy his enjoyment of life. The dog's tail was still wagging.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Dogs have around 300 million scent receptors, compared with about six million in humans. | |
| Glaucoma in dogs is inherited, and testing affected dogs before breeding could reduce its prevalence. | Reported by BBC One |
| Hero was diagnosed with glaucoma and later had both eyes removed due to continued pain. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The only channel in the transcripts treated the story as a warm human interest item. It focused on Hero's scent training, the medical timeline of his glaucoma and eye removals, and practical advice about testing dogs before breeding. The tone was positive and personal, with owner and trainer reaction rather than wider policy or debate.
- “Meet Hero, a dog who sees with his nose.”
- “We've got about six million scent receptors in our nose they've got about 300 million.”
- “With help from their dog trainer Lucy, Hero learnt to see with his nose.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.