Jenna and Her Deaf Therapy Dog Tilly Bring Comfort to Our Military Service Members
by Jenna Pagnotta
Above: Jenna Pagnotta and her deaf Dogo Argentino Therapy Dog Tilly
Tilly, formerly known as Gertrude, was adopted in November 2020 after being pulled from a breeder in Alabama. Born deaf, and therefore unable to profit off her, the breeder surrendered her and 2 of her brothers to a local rescue where the three siblings were then split off; “Gertrude,” as the rescue named her, was taken to a sister rescue up in New Jersey while her 2 brothers stayed down south. Once I found her, I knew I had to adopt her. I was working as a veterinary technician at the time and had an immense number of resources to help with training and healthcare – which I needed knowing that this would be my first deaf dog and my first Dogo Argentino. She weighed less than 10 lbs. at 3 months old when she was rescued. She was super emaciated and sick, and upon getting spayed in 2021, there were even findings of a bone spur in her shoulder which indicated to her veterinarian that there was some sort of abuse prior to her being rescued. The rescue (Pawsitive Action Rescue) was phenomenal at being diligent in finding her the right home, starting to get her on the right medications, and appropriate diet, but it was clear that she needed more time and care for her to be 100% healthy and come into her own.
Above: Jenna and Tilly when Tilly had just been adopted as a small puppy.
The day I brought her home I knew she was special – and boy was she a fighter. As small as she was, she had an enormous personality and always tried to “police” my other 2 dogs. I knew I had to name her something a little more fitting, so we went with “Tilly,” naming her after former NFL player and Army Ranger, Pat Tillman. As she was growing up, we started training with her early, getting her accustomed to other dogs and people and keeping her active. Being in the military myself, and needing to stay in shape, she became a great running buddy; giving my hand “nose boops” (kind of like a high-five) every time we finished our runs, even managing to get me out of bed on the days I really didn’t think I could. Tilly became very in tune with my feelings and could even sense when I was having nightmares; she would lay her head over my neck until I woke up, where she would remain until the panic from the dream finally wore off and my heart rate settled.
As time went on, I began noticing that she not only had a very calming effect on people, but also knew how to be gentle, inquisitive, and approachable. I began training Tilly myself, with the guidance of a working dog trainer in Pennsylvania, to improve her overall confidence and obedience with the goal of making her a therapy dog. Being in the military for the last few years, it was easy to see the impacts this kind of job has on some people, and to be able to give back to a community that has given me an endless number of opportunities was something we really wanted to strive for. In October of 2022, Tilly tested, and was certified as a therapy dog through The Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs Inc. out of New Jersey.
Above: Jenna and Tilly receiving their Therapy Dog Award after passing the Therapy Dog Test
She has since done many visits to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, working with both the Air Force Active Duty and Air National Guard to limit the effects of stress and PTSD with their members. She is currently the first and only therapy dog to the 108th Air Refueling Wing, and we are also working on getting Tilly approved through this region’s USO to continue her therapy work with our troops and their families.
In her free time, Tilly enjoys hiking and playing with her stuffed pig or rope, going to local coffee shops and breweries, and going to dog friendly farms for their “pick your own” seasons.
While Tilly is bilaterally deaf, there are so many other ways we have been able to communicate. She knows some signs which we try to keep as close to ASL as possible, showing me and everyone who meets her that there are SO MANY other ways to communicate than just verbally. Because of Tilly, I don’t think I will ever be without a deaf dog in my home. Deaf dogs really do rock, and I hope more people start to recognize that.
With the a commitment of love, patience, daily positive reinforcement training, enrichment and socializations, deaf dogs can make wonderful Therapy Dogs. We hope you enjoyed our Therapy Dog journey. Deaf dogs totally rock!
With Love,
Tilly & Jenna
@DeafDogo
