Echo, Fort Bragg, CA
Hi! I’m Echo! I was born in a high kill shelter when my mama was impounded.
Her owner was a homeless man, and when he got arrested, she had to go to jail too. She had 7 of us pups and took very good care of us. But she was scared being in that place and lucky for us, we were rescued by the Mendocino Coast Humane Society (MCHS) when we were only a day old.
We had a foster home and everything! We didn’t have our own home, but we were healthy and happy. When I was about 3 months old, I got adopted. I was so excited to go to a new home with my very own family!
But I wasn’t there for very long though when they sent me back. They said I had a disability and they didn’t want me. š
They didn’t get it. I’m not disabled; I’m special. I cannot hear.
I went back to my foster home and one by one, my brothers and sisters were adopted. My mama went to the MCHS shelter so she could find a home. I stayed in my foster home because my foster family didn’t want me to live in the shelter.
So I waited, and got bigger and older. And when I was 5 months old, I met my mom!
She’d wanted a pit bull for a long time. She already had Puck, an Aussie mix, and Noel, a pit bull mix. But my Auntie Noel was sick and elderly, and my mom was sad about so many pit bulls being abused, abandoned and euthanized so she wanted to bring another one home.
She thought she wanted a young, adult female but when she met me, she figured she was wrong. And the best part was that she didn’t care that I couldn’t hear!
So home I went. I had a new Mom, Dad, a 2-legged brother Patrick, as well as Puck and Noel. Neither of them wanted to play with me, but that was OK because Mom sure did! š
Mom started taking me to school right away. I had to learn how to walk on a leash better, sit, down, stay. Mom also taught me a few tricks. One of her favorites is speak. When we meet people, they are so amazed that I’m deaf and she’ll show them what I can do. A lot of people are surprised that a deaf dog barks! I can do everything a hearing dog can do except hear.
I liked going to school so much that Mom signed me up for an AKC Canine Good Citizen class. The supervised separation was hard, but I did it! I was only 7 months old when I passed!
Of course, I like to have my fun too! I love to chase a ball so much that Mom tried a frisbee. OMD! Frisbee is my favorite thing!! Now I get to go to competitions and I’ve made more friends too. Sometimes we get a prize and sometimes we don’t, but we always have fun getting to play and see our friends.
So while all of this was happening, Mom and I started fostering for Daisy Davis Pit Bull Rescue. OMD, all of a sudden I got to be the big brother. My favorite so far is Rio! He’s a big boy who likes to roughhouse with me and the cool thing is that he’s deaf too! Mom calls us the Wonder Twins.
Now, not only are we fostering for Daisy Davis, but Mom and I are teaching a basic obedience class for pit bulls. It’s part of the Outreach Program and is free for pit bulls as a public service.
With all our goings on, my favorite things are to chase a toy and snuggle with my mom in the morning.
I’m such a lucky dog. I was rescued from a very precarious situation where a deaf dog, let alone a pit bull, would have had a difficult time getting out. I’ve known nothing but love and warm beds. My mom says I’m lucky to be alive, and then she hugs me.
My life is full of fun and friends and I wish that for all the other dogs who are in need of a good home.
Thank you,
Echo the Deaf Pittie mix
Parent: Crissy
Photos by Gadaboutphotography.com