Friends4Life

Sunday was Lottie Moon’s first kinda official outing for blind/deaf PR.  Victoria brought Dahlia and Lenix, and I brought Lottie to the Heritage Park in Groveport.  The event was the Friends 4 Life picnic, and between the attention and pets and kisses and food, everyone seemed to have  a good time.  Victoria made some phat bandanas for our Helen Keller crew.  Lottie’s was black with pink letters that said “Blind and Deaf” and she had a flurescent pint feather accent.  Dahlia’s was red, and also said “Blind and Deaf” and her accent was a yellow flower, and Lenix’s said “Adopt Me, I’m Deaf.”  One family was very interested in Lenix, and he and their aussie got along very well, so fingers crossed he can find his forever home soon.



Lenix, Dahlia, Lottie

Lottie and Dahlia have always had a special kind of connection, and it was sweet to see them together again.  Several times Lottie walked over to Dahlia and kissed her, then walked away.  It’s like they know they are both special in the same kind of way.  Dahlia was my inspiration to adopt Lottie, she is an amazing dog.  Dahlia is completely blind and deaf, and her enjoyment of everything is so awesome to see.



Lottie meeting and greeting

One man was very interested in Lottie, he came over several times to pet her and to talk to me.  Every time he walked away, he would mutter, “that’s so sad.”  I kept trying to convince him it wasn’t sad, how can anyone watch Lottie with her joie de vivre, and think her condition is sad?  Despite this, he was facinated, and I know she made an impression on him, and he will tell others, and ultimately, that’s what we were there to do – stimulate interest in special needs dogs. 


Lottie checking out the silent auction baskets

I’ve asked myself, what exactly am I trying to promote with these double merle dogs?  I think the answer is simply Awareness.  Awareness that they are out there, awareness that they are wonderful and happy, awareness that they should be considered when adopting, and awareness that they are inspirational and amazing.  And, awareness that they are VERY trainable.  In a couple of years, I would like to adopt a double merle who is deaf but not blind so that I can run a double merle competitively in agility.  Of course Lottie is proving that she can do agility amazingly well, considering she can barely see, but I want to train for competition, and I’ll need a dog who has decent vision for that.  Right now I’m focusing on Lottie, and I have three dogs I’m competing with in agility, so I’m not ready yet, but in a couple of years . . . . just one more way to expand myself as a trainer, and expand others’ ideas of possible.  Recently I heard a couple of friends discussing the possibility of a deaf agility dog, and they both said that would be very hard.  Neither had any experience with deaf dogs, but they made that assumption, despite my opinion.  So nothing inspires me like someone telling me it can’t be done . . . .

In the meantime, little Lottie will continue her training and work, to show just what CAN be done, even when you are blind and deaf.

 

Peanut butter eating contest!