When I saw the litter of puppies at Angels of Assisi Rescue in Roanoke, VA,  I worried many of them might be deaf because they had the Catahoula Patchwork pattern and blue eyes. The good news was that only one was deaf and blind and his name is Amos. Amos is such a sweet goofball. When I heard there was a family interested in adopting Amos and they had lots of kids, lots of dogs, and no fenced yard I worried he might easily get out of the house and get hurt not to mention it would be way to much chaos for a deaf and blind puppy.

When a puppy is deaf and blind, every scent and vibration helps the puppy recognize what is going on around him. I don’t think people realize for a deaf-blind puppy when there are vibrations everywhere, scents everywhere, constant bumping in every direction (by other dogs, kids, cats, and adults), a deaf-blind puppy can lose it’s confidence and completely shut down. For this reason, I knew I needed to get a hold of Erika at Green Dogs Unleashed to see if she had room in her program for Amos. When I got a hold of Erika with GDU, I told her Deaf Dogs Rock would sponsor Amos if she could make room for him in her program and she agreed.

Amos at 7 weeks (left side with Bobbie) and the puppy on the right (upper and lower) is a puppy from the same litter that can see and hear. 

Amos would need special “touch training” and then a potential home would also need the same training and guidance and work with GDU to train and adopt Amos. A potential adopter would need to go through a rigorous screening process through GDU to adopt Amos. I sent Bobbie with Angels a text about GDU being willing to take Amos and let her know Erika would be contacting her about Amos.

Amos was in a great foster home and they had already worked with Hope with High Hopes Dog Training to get him started on his touch training. Amos’s foster mommy transported him to GDU and Amos is currently in training. GDU is also taking adoption applications for him but it must be a family committed to continuing his touch training.

Amos at 3 to 4 month old (left side) at Green Dogs Unleashed. 

I want to give a big shout out to Angels of Assisi for letting Amos be transported to Green Dogs Unleashed. I also want to thank Erika Renee for taking Amos on such short notice. We are so very lucky to have an organization right here in the state of Virginia committed to saving “special needs” dogs from an uncertain futures.

When rescue organizations work together and support each other good things happen. It takes a village of rescue warriors to ban together because the tighter we are the stronger we become to fight for animals who can’t fight for themselves.

~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock

 

More info about Green Dogs Unleashed Rescue in Troy, VA.   www.greendogsunleashed.org

Green Dogs Unleashed is a non-profit organization focusing on rescue, rehabilitation, placement and training of special needs (and other) animals, to work with special needs humans.

Mission

To rescue, train, place and register unwanted animals to participate in therapy work, with an emphasis on special needs animals. To adopt out, place, or transfer to rescue, animals deemed not suitable for our program.

To improve the quality of life for individuals with special needs, and Veterans with PTSD, by conducting volunteer pet facilitated therapy; to achieve optimum standards of excellence in its practice and in the care of therapy animals through ongoing training and evaluation; to promote the supportive benefits of the human animal bond; and, to enhance our community’s awareness of and involvement in programs.

Description

Green Dogs Unleashed is a non-profit organization committed to rescuing animals in need, rehabilitating them and professionally training them to become Therapy dogs and then placing them in homes to give back to the community, They focus on the rescue, rehabilitation and training of special needs animals to work with special needs humans.

All of GDU animals are currently trained and rehabilitated at Unleashed Canine Training Academy, in Troy, Virginia.

To donate to this cause or for more information, please contact: Greendogsunleashed@yahoo.com