My ‘tail’ didn’t start so happy and I began my life in an apartment where they had to hide me from the landlord. When I was discovered, it was ‘the dog goes or you go’, so I had to go. My people took me to a shelter.

My angel, named Katie, from Smiling K-9’s Rescue received a call one day about a different dog in the shelter I was in and she came to try to rescue that dog and find him a home. Well, he wasn’t the nicest dog in the world and she was concerned he would end up hurting someone so she began to leave. As she passed by my cage, she asked about ME! The shelter worker said that I was deaf and she wouldn’t be able to find me a home. I don’t know what that means, but if no one would want me because of it, it must be bad! All I wanted was to find someone I could share all this love I had bundled up inside me and to be understood and loved. Katie told her she certainly could find me a home so she took me with her!!! It wasn’t easy to find my ‘fur-ever’ home. I stayed with Katie and her family for a long while. Then, I stayed with another nice lady, they called a ‘foster mom’, who gave me love, but couldn’t keep me fur-ever.

One day, some people who used to have a dog that looked just like me (lucky dog!) started looking for a dog. You see, their two legged kids had grown up and married and gone away to college and they needed me! Somehow they stumbled upon a picture of me on the internet. Seeing as how I am so photogenic and smiled really pretty for the camera, they thought I was just beautiful, which of course, I am. There was my name… “Nina” right next to my picture! And next to my name was a bright red heart!! Well, they weren’t sure why there was a heart next to my name and not next to the names of the other dogs, so they clicked on it and it said ‘special needs’. I’m not really sure what that means and neither were they, so they began to dig a little deeper. They discovered what I had known all of my 16 months…I can’t hear. Now, personally, I don’t see that as being a ‘special need’. I mean, what’s the big deal? I look at peoples faces and their hands and know what they want or how they feel.

They came to Smilin’ K-9’s to meet me and it was love at first sight!!!! The only problem was, it had been a while since they had a dog and they just weren’t sure about it. See, they had gotten kind of used to going wherever, whenever because it was just the two of them. So they went home that night to think about it. Well the very next day, my new dad, surprised my new mom on Valentines day by picking me up at Katie’s and bringing me to my FUR-EVER home!! I was there when my new mom got home from work and she cried and hugged my neck when she saw me. (I guess that means she was happy.)

I’ve become somewhat of a celebrity! I now have my very own window seat, where I can lay and watch the world go by! We live on a main street in a very small town and people stop my mom and dad and tell them “I saw Nina in the window!”

I get treats of ice and pineapple and ice cream, but my favorite is bananas! I love bananas so much that my mom used them to teach me to ‘speak’! I’m not sure why, but people find it funny that I can’t hear but I can talk!

I have my very own patio chair, so when mom and dad have people over or we go somewhere to hang out for the day, I have a place to call my own. I love kids and other dogs…they are so fun to play with, but I’m not sure about kitties. I’ve only seen a few of them and they won’t play with me…they run away.

My two-legged sisters love me very much and I really enjoy it when they are home. They hold me on their laps (all 70 lbs of me) and pet me and rub my ears, which I love! In return, I give them kisses and nibble their ears and their fingernails and whatever else I can get my mouth on just like I do mom and dad so they know I love them bunches. I even have a two-legged brother-in-law who is one giant chew toy! He plays really hard with me and I love it!! He doesn’t seem to mind at all when I get a little carried away and forget to be ‘soft’ with him.

So, thanks to Katie at Smilin’ K-9’s Rescue, I have a great life with my people who allow me to love them and in return love me very, very much.

 

* This story was submitted for Nina by Karen Jeffers. Deaf Dogs Rock would like to thank Karen for helping Nina submit her beautiful Happy Tail. Deaf Dogs Rock thinks Katie at Smilin’ K-9’s Rescue Rocks! Keep up the good work Katie!