Happy 3rd Dogiversary to Pickles! It was three years ago today that Pickles joined Mac and Donna Adams and their other two deaf dogs to live in a happy home in Richmond, Virginia. The very next year in 2011 Mac and Donna would adopt their 3rd deaf dog Opal from GA (Opal was one of our very first listings on DDR) which would bring their deaf dog numbers up to FOUR!

This year deaf dog Mortimer (who was also listed up for adoption on DDR) has joined the family and their famous deaf dog pack. They are now known as the “Adams 5 Pack” here in Virginia. What a wonderful and loving testament to the commitment and advocacy of Mac and Donna Adams to promote and educate people on how wonderful owning deaf dogs can truly be. According to my deaf dogs Nitro, Bud, The Adams 5 Pack and myself, Donna and Mac Adams totally ROCK!

~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock

Update: 11-01-2013: And then there were 5 deaf dogs rescued and lived happily ever after in Richmond Virginia. Mac and Donna Adams welcomed their 5th deaf dog to their wonderful “Mac 4 Pack” to now become the “Adams 5 Pack”.

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 Photo: The Adam’s 5 Pack by Mac Adams

Pickle’s Happy Tail – Original 

This is Pickles and she is one of the Mac 4 Pack that we love to feature here as often as we can on Deaf Dogs Rock. The Mac 4 Pack were all adopted by Mac and Donna Adams of Richmond VA. You might be thinking what in the heck is the “Mac 4 Pack”. The Mac 4 Pack is a group of four deaf pit bull mixes adopted into one family by Mac and Donna Adams. Deaf Dogs Rock wants to share all four of their Happy Tails with you our Deaf Dogs Rock readers.

Nitro, Chris and I think the Mac 4 Pack totally ROCKS!  Now here is Pickles to tell you her Happy Tail.

Enjoy! ~ Christina, Chris and Nitro – Deaf Dogs Rock

Hi everyone! My name is Pickles and I’m a Pit Bull mix! I found my Mommy and Daddy two weeks before Thanksgiving 2010. Daddy says he wasn’t looking for a doggie but when I ask him why he was at Richmond Animal Care and Control, he just can’t answer me. I think, sometimes, that he could hear me crying out because I was scared and lonely and he came to rescue me but I think I rescued him!

Mommy and Daddy were really sad because Maddie, that’s my Mastiff sister, died and they wanted another doggie really bad but couldn’t decide on one. It’s kind of a long story but I think Daddy found me because I’m deaf and to some people that makes me a misfit. Daddy thinks I’m a misfit too but he says it with so much love in his heart. But why did I tug at his heartstrings so much? It’s because of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that comes on every Christmas. If you remember, there is the Island of Misfit Toys where the toys that no one wants go to live. Not too many people outside of my family know this but, at Christmas time, my Daddy buys broken Christmas ornaments just so they’ll have a home for Christmas. He says he’s done it for years and we have quite a few broken Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree. Just things that no one else wants but they deserve a good and loving home.

When I was found by animal control I was tied to a tree and a nice person name “Opie” picked me up and took me to the shelter. She took good care of me until my Daddy came to find me. I would sleep in the shelter all of the time because I’m deaf so when visitors came, I didn’t bark and whine to be taken out because I didn’t know anyone was there! One day, Daddy came and saw me sleeping in a room full of barking doggies and asked Opie why and she told him I was deaf.

Opie explained to Daddy how deaf doggies don’t get adopted and that I may never get out of a shelter or rescue because they will just pass me around to foster care families. I don’t let being deaf bother me and I can do anything a hearing dog can do. I come when Mommy and Daddy call me because they stomp on the floor or vibrate my collar (I like my vibration collar because I always get a treat!).

Not a bad life, I guess, because I’m not in the shelter but I wanted a forever home! Luckily, Richmond Animal Control is a low kill shelter and they only PTS doggies that are sick or really mean so I was going to be okay. Opie and Daddy took me to the visitation room and I jumped in Daddy’s lap and licked his face and I knew I found my forever home. He was all teary eyed and we played for a while then I went back to my cage. I missed my new friend but I knew deep down that he would be back and my life would change forever!

The next day, Mommy came with Daddy and we all played and I kissed Mommy’s face and she cried! Although I can’t hear what you say, I can hear what’s in your heart and I knew I was going home! One thing that is really funny is that when I get a bath, I get more spots! When I came to my new house, I was almost all white with some black on my ears and ever since then I get more spots when I get a bath! I guess one day, I’ll be all black instead of all white!

Mommy and Daddy have trained me with hand signals and I’m very visual and I have a great nose that tends to get me in trouble. I’m never out of sight of one of my humans because I can’t hear I have to see them and I love them so I need to be near them. I love to go for walks in the mornings with Mommy and Daddy and I love to play with my sisters. Daddy makes our dog food because he says that most commercial dog food isn’t good for us and it tastes really good and is good for us!

 (In the above photo is The Mac 4 Pack courtesy of Mac and Donna Adams, Richmond, VA)

I have four human brothers and one human sister and now I have three doggie sisters, Nea, Piglet and Opal and you can read about them here http://thedeafdog.blogspot.com/