Puppy Dumped For Being Deaf Finds A Special Home

[My Dog Rosie]

What a great story and a beautiful pup!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...n-language.html

Abandoned by a breeder at only eight weeks old because she was deaf, Alice had a tough start in life.

But less than a month after her rescue, the springer spaniel is learning to recognise sign language commands with her new family.

Marie Williams, 41, and her partner Mark Morgan, 43, who are themselves both deaf, adopted the puppy from animal charity The Blue Cross.

The couple and their three sons Liam, 16, Lewis, 13, and Owen, five, who have normal hearing, are teaching the affectionate spaniel sign language commands, including instructions for sit, come and roll over.

Miss Williams, from West Mersea, Essex, said: 'We were thinking about getting a dog but when we saw Alice was deaf we just couldn't believe it.

'She was so beautiful and the fact that she was deaf just made us fall in love with her even more - we knew that she would fit right into our family.

'When we went to visit her at the centre I had tears in my eyes because she was so cute and we bonded straight away.'

The distinctive spaniel, who has one blue eye, was dirty, sick and nervous when she was abandoned by a breeder who decided the deaf pup would not make him any money.

Staff at the The Blue Cross adoption centre in Lewknor, Oxfordshire were worried that prospective new owners would be put off by taking on a pup which would need lots of TLC and specialist training.

Miss Williams added: 'I feel so angry that someone abandoned her because in their eyes she was not "perfect". It goes to show with a little effort it is easy to cope with a deaf puppy - she has already learned the signs for several basic commands.

'I want everyone to see how well we have bonded to Alice and how well she is getting on - she is so special to us.'

Julie Stone, manager of The Blue Cross animal adoption centre in Lewknor, said: 'Alice is such a loving and responsive dog and she proves that with a bit of time and effort, a deaf dog can be trained and become a wonderful pet.

'It was amazing to see how Marie, Mark and their children immediately bonded with Alice and how they knew just how to get her attention.

'They are a brilliant match and Alice has found the perfect home where I know she will get the love she deserves.'

The Blue Cross, which relies entirely on public donations, re-homes thousands of dogs, cats, horses, and small animals every year through its network of adoption centres.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...l#ixzz1HMtOANkN

[Marion 01]

Goes to show doesn't it, a little compassion and a whole new life has begun for this pup. I have a lot of dogs, and have watched them grow from 8 week old pups to very old age and have taught them verbal commands and also sign commands, it has come in handy as the older dogs either become blind or deaf, for them it was all part of their daily life. Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for, and I would never overlook an animal because it was not perfect. None of us are.

Marion

[Diva]

Being deaf is something dogs seem to cope with well, as long as their owners figure out how to communicate with them it need not impair their quality of life and it causes no pain. So different to so many of the other other severe disabilities.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Diva

[Leelaa17]

What a beautiful, wonderful story!!!!

It is so nice to hear that this beautiful little puppy got a home with a clearly incredible family.

Shame on the person who left this puppy.

[sandgrubber]

Lovely story. Wish that every special needs pup that ends out homeless could do as well.