I believe the shelter embellished his true story a little bit to solicit some attention and donations. They opted for surgery instead of “paying for treatment”??? Surgery costs more than antibiotics… Seriously, think about that for a moment. Why would they spend several hundred or more on surgery instead of antibiotics that cost less than $50?
If a vet opted to remove the eyes, it’s because they were so severely infected/injured that they couldn’t be treated with antibiotics. Possible there was an underlying issue, such as severe dry eye, that lead to the infection. Eye removal often is one form of treatment for dry eye. (The dog doesn’t produce tears. SOME dogs respond to daily eye drops to keep the eye lubricated, but not all.)
Vets won’t just remove an eye if it could easily be treated with medicine.
There is far more to his story than just an eye infection.