This is Callie’s Happy Tail told by her humane mom Emily Lewis
Four years ago I was working as the dog trainer and adoption ambassador at my local Petco. I set up a large doggy adoption event for our store, but wasn’t planning on a new family member for myself. When the adoption group came in to set up, I saw a white dog with blue eyes covered in skin sores. She was shaking and cowering in her crate. I watched throughout the day as all the other dogs were adopted. I didn’t see a single person take a second look at the blue eyed dog.
So of course, I had to meet her. When I took her out of her kennel, she sat down in front of me, put her head in my chest, and started whimpering. I was sold. The rescue told me that they brought her up from Missouri when she was pregnant having rescued her from a hoarding situation. She wasn’t very socialized and she was scared of her own shadow. I took her home that night and named her Callie. Thankfully I have a very tolerant partner and a happy go lucky male dog who fell in love with Callie right away.
As soon as Callie settled in and we addressed her physical issues, I started trying to train her. I was having an exceedingly difficult time communicating with her and soon I started to suspect a hearing deficit. I ran an incredibly scientific test of me banging pots together behind Callie’s head and as it turned out I was right. I now had a deaf dog. Once I figured that part out, the rest just kine of fell into place. Callie is incredibly smart and she is always happy to please. She quickly learned her name and all the basic obedience sign commands I asked for her to do.
About a year into having Callie, she started becoming very reactive, nervous, and started running into things. I took her to the vet and found out that she was losing her sight due to congenital cataracts. Callie has learned to compensate for her visual loss incredibly well. In fact, she doesn’t seem to know or care that she can’t hear or see well.
Callie loves everyone unconditionally and it would be impossible not to return that kind of love. When I need to laugh she is a total clown and when I am sad, she licks my tears away. Callie is also a great hiking partner and bed warmer. She is one of the loudest dog I’ve ever met and she makes funny little noises that sound just like a Seal. Callie sings songs about everything that makes her happy in life, which in her case is most things! I am personally inspired by her strength and will to live a full and happy life every day. Callie and I are currently working on our obedience and socialization so we can become a therapy dog team. One day we would love to work with deaf children!
