Owner Names Blind & Deaf Puppy 'Piglet,' Shares Hilarious Story of How Tiny Pup Was Huge Handful
When Melissa Shapiro first met one blind, deaf puppy, she knew she needed to help.
He was tiny, pink, and terrified. His original owners did not spay or neuter their three dogs, and they quickly ended up with 37.
Melissa’s heart broke for the little guy and convinced her husband to agree to foster him.
She thought, “I’ll be able to help him, you know? And then I’ll get him all settled and place him in another home.”
Of course, that’s rarely how fostering turns out.
Melissa named the “temporary” addition to the family “Piglet” because of his pink color and uncanny resemblance to the “Winnie the Pooh” character.
Once they got Piglet home, his personality came out in full force. Like most puppies, he was constantly getting into things and becoming quite a handful.
But his new foster parents loved him anyway and learned how to help him succeed. In addition to his puppy tendencies, Piglet was showing signs of extreme anxiety.
He found refuge in one particular canine sibling, Susie. Because of Susie’s dark color, Piglet is able to see her slightly out of his left eye.
Having her near him would comfort him, so he would always make sure that she was on his left side.
Eventually, Melissa and her husband were able to work through a lot of his anxieties.
“Slowly, we tapped into his isolation, optimizing on his senses of touch, smell, and taste (very important!). We were able to peel away the layers of frustration to find an engaging, smart, adorable, and very spoil-able puppy,” she wrote on Instagram.
Melissa and her husband grew to love him too much to pass him on to another home, so they officially adopted him. Piglet has adjusted well to his new family.
Since the adoption, Melissa has shared Piglet’s story on social media, complete with adorable pictures and videos, to raise awareness about disabled dogs.
He even has his own line of merchandise that raises money for other dogs in need.
Melissa wrote, “His ability to adapt and enjoy life is remarkable and exemplary. Piglet is a dog who teaches tolerance, flexibility, and compassion. He engages his environment, communicates with his people, and overcomes challenges every single day.”
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