Deaf Man Finds Friendship In Deaf Dog

Deaf Floridian man adopts dog with disability, teaches pup american sign language getting the media's attention.

LAKE CITY, FL -- A Deaf man found a perfect companion when he adopted his Deaf dog. Nick Abbott first saw Emerson, a cute Black Labrador, on his Facebook News Feed when the North Florida Rescue of Maine posted the dog's picture.

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Emerson was looking for a loving home. "I was drawn to him right away because we have similarities. I felt like because I know what it's like to be Deaf, I could understand him,"

Emerson was a part of a litter and all of his siblings had already been adopted.

“He is left wondering why no one wants to give him a forever home,” NFR posted alongside his picture prior to his adoption. “He wants everyone to know that even though he may be deaf, he is still an amazing little pup with SOO much love to give!” Abbott said he initially wasn’t sure if he could handle the responsibility of another dog as he already had a 7-year-old yellow Lab, but he couldn’t get Emerson out of his mind.

“I decided I should at least go meet him and see,” Abbott said. “I walked in and he came right to me and sat on my foot. It was like he already knew me…. That’s the moment that I knew.” Their bond thus far has been “awesome,” Abbott explained. Wherever he is, Emerson is nearby.

Now, Abbott is actively training Emerson. The pup is already learning commands in sign language and has been fast at picking it up.

“I didn’t know what it would be like to have a Deaf dog. I’ve never been around a Deaf dog before,” Abbott said. “I think we have been learning together as we go.”

SOURCE - Inside Edition

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Deaf Boy’s Service Dog Killed in Hit and Run

Deaf News: Anchorage family wants justice after 12-year-old Deaf boy’s service dog killed in hit and run.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A broken red collar is a reminder that there’s something missing at Valerie Anderson’s East Anchorage home.

It’s the collar that belonged to Scooby Doo, the family’s labrador retriever, who was 12-year-old J.J. Anderson’s best friend.

J.J has special needs and wears cochlear implants to hear. The family got Scooby to be a companion for J.J just in case something went wrong.

“When Scooby was 6 months old, he detected a seizure for my son and brought him out of it really quick,” said Anderson.

The pair had a daily routine, a walk through their neighborhood and over to Boniface Parkway, then a quick stop at Anderson’s job at Alaska Pretrial Services, before heading back home.

But on their last walk down Bonficace Parkway Thursday morning, Scooby was hit and killed near 22nd Street by a driver in a black truck. Instead of stopping, the Anchorage Police Departmnet says the driver sped off.

Cindy Jicinsky was one of the drivers who, seeing Scooby in the road and J.J crying on the sidewalk, stopped to help.

“He was obviously very distraught,” said Jicinsky. “The dog may have run into the road but still, if you hit somebody’s animal, you definitely should stop and take ownership of that.”

APD officers and two gentlemen helped J.J. get to Anderson’s office where they broke the news.

“It’s unacceptable,” said Anderson. “You just don’t leave a child like that, you know? I was bewildered by it.”

Those sentiments were shared by her boss, Dennis Johnson, who put his feelings into a Facebook post, directed toward the driver who fled: “Thank God the leash broke when you sped up to flee. He will heal from his physical wounds but probably not the emotional ones!!!!”

“I was just so mad,” said Johnson of how he felt Thursday night. “It was a rant, that’s all it was.”

His rant sparked kindness from the community, in the form of words and donations, including “an envelope of 5s and 10s and 20s” that the Alaska Pretrial Services office received.

Anderson says, judging by the overwhelming support from the community, it’s clear that Scooby was more than just J.J.’s dog.

“Scooby was loved by everybody,” she said. “A lot of people know who Scooby was, they know who J.J. is and it’s been an outpouring of love since it happened. And I can’t thank people enough for it.”

She says even though she and J.J. can’t get Scooby back, they know they’re not alone in the healing process.

APD says its looking for a black truck in this hit-and-run case. If caught, the driver will receive a citation and have to pay a $500 fine.

SOURCE - KTVA