It may have been rough at the start but this puppy just got his fairytale ending.
At only six weeks old, life has already been tough for young Emerson. He was rescued from a shelter in Florida where he was transferred to Maine.
The puppy sustained an infection known as canine parvovirus which can be life-threatening for dogs if left untreated. Luckily, Emerson pulled through. But it was just the beginning of his journey.
When he recovered, the staff noticed something odd with Emerson.
“We aren’t sure if Emerson was born deaf and visually impaired or if it was a result of the seizures but what we DO know is that neither one of those bother him one bit.” The shelter said in one of their Facebook posts.
According to the same Facebook post, Emerson was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” which made Emerson more confused because his siblings were adopted right of the bat.
But the staff and Emerson didn’t give up.
They wrote adoption advertisements for Emerson. They convinced people that just because he was different does it mean that he can’t be a loyal companion.
“My foster mom thinks that’s because people see that I’m deaf, and that makes people nervous but she wants everyone to know that being deaf is the LEAST of my worries!” said one Facebook post.
“What IS known is that a lack of being able to hear doesn’t keep me down! I’m a happy-go-lucky little dude, at least that’s what my foster mom says! I love everyone and everything!” the post continued.
Finally, his messages landed on the perfect candidate.
Weeks later, the shelter received an application from a person named Nick Abbott. Seeing the dog’s challenges, Abbott can’t help but feel some sort of connection. After all, they were both deaf.
“I said- Oh, he’s deaf too,” explains Abbott to WABI. “Maybe I can go check him out to see what he’s all about.”
It was definitely a rendezvous with destiny.
“He came straight to me at the door and sat right away at my feet and stayed there,” says Abbott to the news outlet. “So you can tell he kind of picked me. And I knew right then and there that we would get along and understand each other pretty good.”
While their voices are quiet, their connection was loud for everyone else to see and feel. Abbott communicated with Emerson after teaching him visual commands.
What is known as the “sit” command for us became the “s” sign for Emerson. And “lie down” for us meant sweeping Abbott’s hand across in a straight line.
What others thought was a detriment became the most important piece of the puzzle.
It is through his disabilities that Emerson is able to find a home that will love him. Their unique connection became the foundation of a beautiful friendship between man and beast.
“The bond that we have is awesome,” Abbott told WABI. “We understand each other very well. I’d like to think it was meant to be. He’s special.”
Watch how a deaf dog found his soul mate.
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