Pickles, Richmond, VA
Hi everyone! My name is Pickles and I’m a Pit Bull mix! I found my Mommy and Daddy two weeks before Thanksgiving 2010.
Daddy says he wasn’t looking for a doggie but when I ask him why he was at Richmond Animal Care and Control, he just can’t answer me. I think, sometimes, that he could hear me crying out because I was scared and lonely and he came to rescue me, but I think I rescued him! Mommy and Daddy were really sad because Maddie (that’s my Mastiff sister) died and they wanted another doggie really bad but couldn’t decide on one. It’s kind of a long story but I think Daddy found me because I’m deaf and to some people that makes me a misfit. Daddy thinks I’m a misfit too but he says it with so much love in his heart.
But why did I tug at his heartstrings so much? It’s because of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that comes on every Christmas. If you remember, there is the Island of Misfit Toys where the toys that no one wants go to live. Not too many people outside of my family know this but, at Christmas time, my Daddy buys broken Christmas ornaments just so they’ll have a home for Christmas. He says he’s done it for years and we have quite a few broken Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree. Just things that no one else wants but they deserve a good and loving home.
When I was found by animal control, I was tied to a tree and a nice person name “Opie” picked me up and took me to the shelter. She took good care of me until my Daddy came to find me. I would sleep in the shelter all of the time because I’m deaf so when visitors came, I didn’t bark and whine to be taken out because I didn’t know anyone was there!
One day, Daddy came and saw me sleeping in a room full of barking doggies and asked Opie why and she told him I was deaf. Opie explained to Daddy how deaf doggies don’t get adopted and that I may never get out of a shelter or rescue because they will just pass me around to foster care families.
I don’t let being deaf bother me and I can do anything a hearing dog can do. I come when Mommy and Daddy call me because they stomp on the floor or vibrate my collar (I like my vibration collar because I always get a treat!) Not a bad life, I guess, but I wanted a forever home! Luckily, Richmond Animal Control is a low kill shelter and they only PTS doggies that are sick or really mean so I was going to be okay.
Opie and Daddy took me to the visitation room and I jumped in Daddy’s lap and licked his face and I knew I found my forever home. He was all teary eyed and we played for a while then I went back to my cage. I missed my new friend but I knew deep down that he would be back and my life would change forever!
The next day, Mommy came with Daddy. We all played and I kissed Mommy’s face and she cried! Although I can’t hear what you say, I can hear what’s in your heart and I knew I was going home!
One thing that is really funny is that when I get a bath, I get more spots! When I came to my new house, I was almost all white with some black on my ears and ever since then, I get more spots when I get a bath! I guess one day, I’ll be all black instead of all white! 🙂
Mommy and Daddy have trained me with hand signals and I’m very visual and I have a great nose that tends to get me in trouble. I’m never out of sight of one of my humans because I can’t hear so I have to see them, and I love them so I need to be near them. I love to go for walks in the mornings with Mommy and Daddy and I love to play with my sisters. Daddy makes our dog food (he says that most commercial dog food isn’t good for us) and it tastes really good and is good for us!
I have four human brothers and one human sister and now I have three doggie sisters, Nea, Opal and Piglet (that’s me on the left and then my sisters in that order). You can read about us on The Deaf Dog blog! You can also come say hi to me on Facebook!
Parent: Mac