Deaf Man Adopted A Deaf Puppy And Taught Him Sign Language

Sometimes, things are just meant to be. And this is one of those stories. A deaf man has adopted a puppy who is also deaf. And their bond is one that warms our hearts.

As reported by WABI-5, 31-year-old Nick Abbott first saw Emerson on a Facebook post from NFR, Maine – a dog rescue.

As Abbott said to the TV station, “I said, ‘Oh, he’s deaf, too.’ Maybe I can go check him out to see what he’s all about.”

Emerson was only six-weeks-old when he got rescued from Florida. He wasn’t doing well as he had contracted the K-9 Pappa virus infection and was experiencing seizures. For those who don’t know, the K-9 Pappa virus is a virus that affects dogs. If left untreated it is fatal.

UPDATE: Adopted!! Please see our page for his adoption story! :)Our Sweet boy Emerson is still looking for his forever…

Posted by NFR Maine on Tuesday, March 12, 2019

“Once we got him home from the vet’s office from Florida, we realized he had hearing difficulties,” Lindsay Powers with NFR Maine told Good Morning America on Tuesday. “He had such a rough start to life.”

Emerson’s siblings were adopted out quite quickly, but “our sweet boy Emerson” was still looking for his forever home as the dog rescue posted on their Facebook.

As they wrote, “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!”

When Abbott went to go see Emerson, the pup went straight up to him and sat at his feet, WABI-5 reports.

“He kind of picked me. And I knew right then and there that we would get along and understand each other pretty good,” Abbott said.

Since their first encounter, Emerson has become proficient in the sign language commands that Abbott taught him.

In order to get Emerson to “sit” Abbott makes an S motion. And his command for “lie down” is a sweeping hand motion across his chest.

Richelle, Abbott’s mom, told Good Morning America, “If Nick reaches up and shakes his ear lobe, Emerson will bark – it’s so cute.”

Abbott said to WABI-5, “The bond that we have is awesome. We understand each other very well. I’d like to think it was meant to be. He’s special.”

So happy that life brought these two together. It just goes to show you how some things are meant to be.


More From Cesar's Way Videos

Recommended Videos


Related Posts

May 26, 2023

How Can I Get My Dog to Stop Digging?

Hi Cesar, My boyfriend and I have three dogs. Two are Rottweilers (three years old

May 19, 2023

What You Need to Know About Hookworms in Dogs

Hookworms are dangerous parasites that live in a dog's small intestine. With remarkable efficiency, hookworms

May 12, 2023

I Can’t Get My Overweight Dog to Lose Weight

My Cheena (a Chihuahua/pekinese) is overweight at 11 lb. I have had numerous suggestions on

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get Tips From Cesar & The Pack

Don’t get left out of the doghouse! Sign up now to make sure you’re up to date on the latest happenings!

Trending Today

Trending This Week