News

Deaf dogs are often overlooked but they can make fabulous pets as Blue Cross rescue puppy Patch has proven.

The gorgeous Jack Russell terrier came to our rehoming centre in Lewknor because of a relationship breakdown and his owners told us that he’d been born deaf.

He’s a friendly, confident and fun loving dog but we were worried that potential new owners might be put off.

Jess Hollis, animal welfare assistant, says: “Dogs that can’t hear are often written off because people think they’re too difficult to train, they can’t be called back and they’re generally unable to live a ‘normal’ life.

“But a deaf dog only has one of the five senses missing and can accommodate for this loss much better than you might imagine.

“With their heightened sense of smell and eager eyes, a deaf dog can understand, interact and learn just as well as their hearing companions.”

Our staff used reward-based training with Patch and he picked it up very quickly and was soon learning new skills to help him in the real world.

He’s now been rehomed to a family who are continuing his training.

Jess adds: “With just a little more patience, time and imagination from their owners, a deaf dog can learn all the behaviours that a hearing dog can, including recall.”

Rescue animals can make fabulous family pets. If you’d like to meet some of the ones we currently have, visit our rehoming pages.