March 1, 2016

 

Hi Save A Dog,

Harvey was adopted from Save A Dog - via Indiana - in April 2012.  He was badly neglected and removed from his previous home in very poor shape.  Thanks to the wonderful care he received in Indiana and at Save A Dog, he made a remarkable recovery.  He is now about 6 years old - we celebrate his "birthday" on the date he was rescued,  He loves to romp in our fenced-in yard, take walks through the neighborhood, snooze on his LL Bean bed (beside a radiator no less!), travel in his "man cave" in the back of our SUV - well, he really likes to do anything which allows him to hang with his "peeps".  He loves to visit with family and he is also a regular visitor to the rehab where I work.  People love to point out that he looks like Petey from The Little Rascals.  He is calm and gentle when he visits with kids and the elderly, exuberant when he plays with his buddies and at all times charming and loving.

 

I should also mention that Harvey is completely deaf - most likely from birth.  I mention this because it likely was a barrier for people considering adoption - I know it was a concern for me.  There was a fair amount of information on the internet about living with and training deaf dogs.  Harvey knows a few dozen sign language signs and is very tuned-in to body language.  Honestly - except for the need to be more concerned for his safety - there really isn't much difference between living with him or a hearing dog.  It was well worth taking the chance - had we passed him by due to his deafness, we would have missed out on adding a very special member to our family! 

 

Isabelle Florek

 

Shirley's note: I’ll never forget this adopter. After expressing interest in Harvey she learned he was deaf but it did not deter her and she began reading up on how to train a deaf dog. This is a real Success Story!