A trip to Meadow Lake becomes a ride home for blind rescue dog Tobias

On the morning of Aug. 30, bringing home a dog was nowhere in Lambert’s plans. He was scrolling through Facebook before leaving for a farm to work on his truck when a post from Northern Transitional Dog Rescue appeared in his feed.

Blind dog Tobias rides in Cody Lambert’s truck during the nearly two-hour trip from Big River First Nation to Meadow Lake on Aug. 30, 2026. Lambert volunteered to transport Tobias before deciding during the journey to adopt him. (Image Credit: Cody Lambert)

The rescue needed someone to transport the dog from Big River First Nation to Meadow Lake as soon as possible. Lambert did not follow the dog rescue group’s Facebook page; the request had found him by chance.

He did not mind driving and had never been to Meadow Lake. To Lambert, it was a road trip for a good cause: get the dog where he needed to go, then carry on with his day.

When Lambert arrived, he found the dog beneath a porch, appearing dirty and nervous. He had been warned the animal might growl. Instead, the dog named Tobias accepted a few treats and some gentle attention before climbing into the truck.

Northern Transitional Dog Rescue later wrote that “we met up with Cody and the dog in Meadow Lake. Quite frankly, it was easy to see how [Tobias] was already so bonded to Cody.”

Cody Lambert spends time with Tobias at his home after a volunteer drive to Meadow Lake ended in an unexpected adoption. (Image Credit: Cody Lambert)

Tobias enjoys a pup cup. (Submitted/ Cody Lambert)

Lambert also thought about what might happen if he did not give the dog a home.

“Not a lot of people will take on a dog that is blind. If he did end up in a shelter, I feel like he would have been stuck there. … I really just felt like I should take a chance on him,” he said.

The commitment came with plenty of unknowns. Lambert had a partially blind cat when he was younger, but no experience caring for a fully blind animal.

“I had no idea at the start of this weekend I’d be getting a dog, let alone a blind dog,” he said. “I’ve been kind of learning on the go, and it seems to be going pretty well.”

What Lambert did have was a family history of making room for animals with difficult pasts.

One of the family’s cats, Nugget, became jokingly known as the “Million Dollar Cat” after they took him in while he was seriously ill and faced a series of veterinary bills. Another, Atlas, was found freezing beside a road. He lost his tail and the tips of his ears, but recovered after receiving veterinary care.

Tobias plays along the shore of a lake after finding a home with Cody Lambert. (Submitted/Cody Lambert)

A drawing by one of Cody Lambert’s friends depicts Tobias, the blind dog Lambert adopted after volunteering to transport him to Meadow Lake. (Image Credit: cody Lambert)

For Lambert, there was also something familiar in Tobias’s circumstances.

“He kind of reminded me of me when I was in my younger days. I had a bit of a rougher upbringing, so it’s nice to give back and watch lives of animals turn around,” he said.

Even the dog’s name changed as his future took shape. Lambert initially chose Chevy because he drove a Chevrolet and had picked up the dog in one. Less than a day later, he renamed him Tobias.

“I wasn’t expecting to pick up a dog or even be around a dog at all that weekend. And yeah, I feel like God put him in my path, and Tobias means God is good. So that’s why I went with that name.”

At home, Lambert is now learning alongside Tobias. He has placed the dog’s food on a mat so Tobias can feel where it is and use it to help navigate the house.

The additional responsibility is part of giving Tobias the home he believes the dog needs.

“It takes patience, and it takes time and love and compassion, which I have a lot of for animals,” Lambert said.

“I think it just means he has a happy place to go, and I’m really content with that feeling. Like I like knowing that I have something to take care of, and extra responsibility might be a bit of a burden to some, but I really don’t mind it when it comes to helping an animal.”

The rescue estimated Tobias was between one and three years old after examining his teeth. It also plans to have him neutered Sept. 9 and said money raised for him will allow it to reduce his adoption fee to zero. It has also provided him with a new collar and leash.

Tobias is now living with Lambert in a cabin beside the water.

Lambert’s message to anyone considering adopting a rescue animal is to “give them a chance, regardless of their situation.”

“It’s really amazing how fast an animal can turn around if it’s shown the proper love and compassion and given a little bit of patience,” he said. “You know, you can really give them a new lease on life, and it does make a difference.”

“People see that, and then maybe they consider taking on an animal that maybe needs a little extra help that wouldn’t get taken otherwise, right?”

“They’re all deserving of love as well.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

A trip to Meadow Lake becomes a ride home for blind rescue dog Tobias

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