Ivor the Staffordshire terrier was only ten months old, but he’d already been through five homes. Ivor was abandoned by these five owners because they couldn’t cope with him being deaf.
In November 2017, Ivor’s fifth owner brought him back to the RSPCA’s Halifax, Huddersfield, and Bromsgrove branch. After facing so much abandonment in his short life, Ivor naturally had trust issues. But the staff as the RSPCA tirelessly worked with him, showing him that he was in a safe place. They also quickly began searching for a forever home for him.
Over time, Ivor began to trust the staff at the RSPCA, and he became a sweet, loving, and affectionate puppy.
Once Ivor trusted the staff, they began teaching him sign language. Ivor was smart and eager to learn, and he’d soon mastered the sign commands for ‘sit’ and ‘come.’
In December 2017, a woman named Ellie Bromilow and her family visited the RSPCA. As soon as they saw Ivor, they fell in love with him. Bromilow understood the challenges that would come from having a deaf dog, and she was willing to face them. Once the staff at the RSPCA were positive that Bromilow was the right owner for Ivor, they signed the adoption papers.
Bromilow and her family ended up giving Ivor the perfect forever home! Now, the one-year-old dog is as happy as can be.
Bromilow continued teaching Ivor sign language commands. He has now learned the finger commands for ‘lie down, ‘all gone’, and ‘stay.’ But there’s one sign Ivor loves above all the rest:
“When he gets the sign for ‘walkies’ he gets so excited,” Bromilow told Express. “We keep him on a long lead and, if he’s looking, he’ll come to you when you raise one hand in the air.”
Ivor also has a ton of energy, and he has an amazing sense of smell. To keep the puppy mentally and physically stimulated, Bromilow will play games with him. She’ll hide things around the house, and Ivor will sniff them out. He loves playing this game with his new mom!
Bromilow hasn’t found too many differences between having a deaf dog and a hearing dog:
“Having a deaf dog is just like having a hearing dog. We still speak to him as we sign and I chat to him a lot – even though he can’t hear a word.”
Bromilow started a Facebook page for Ivor where she shares photos of all of his adventures. She shared a sweet photo of Ivor playing in the snow.
She also shares cute photos of Ivor hanging out at home.
After being abandoned by five owners, Ivor has found his perfect forever home with a family who patiently helped him learn sign language commands. If you’d like to see Ivor in action, check out the video below. And if you’d like to help the RSPCA rescue other dogs like Ivor, consider donating to their organization.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
