Deaf Man Adopts Deaf Dog, Teaches Him Sign Language So They Can Communicate

Apr 29, 2019

A pup's journey through illness and disability is made much easier with the help of his new human.

A deaf man from Maine is going the extra mile for a pup that goes by the name of Emerson. The pup is deaf and visually impaired. His new owner is teaching Emerson sign language, so they can communicate with each other. It's an effort that has drawn the attention and hearts of people all over the world, via the Internet

Nick Abbott is the man in question. He adopted Emerson from the North Florida Rescue (NFR). The pup was about 12 weeks old on adoption day. Emerson first few weeks were tough. He had seizures and problems eating and drinking. Then, he developed Parvo.

Despite everything, Emerson came through. But, his health conditions made adoption difficult. People were hesitant to take on a dog with so many challenges, especially with other healthy dogs available. Then, Nick showed up.

Nick remembers how Emerson came up to him at the door and sat down at his feet. He told WAIB: "So you can tell he kind of picked me. And I knew right then and there that we would get along and understand each other pretty good."

They had an instant connection and Nick adopted Emerson immediately. To help them communicate better, Nick taught the pup sign language. For example, when Nick signs the letter "S", Emerson knows to sit. When Nick signs a straight line, Emerson knows to lie down.

These two have a strong bond and understand each other quite well. It was definitely meant to be.

How did Nick know to find Emerson? It was a Facebook post from NFR. It talked about Emerson and his journey, plus the fact he was still looking for his "forever" home. Nick knew he had something to do.

Nick could relate to Emerson's journey and disability. NFR updated Facebook about the difficulty of finding Emerson the perfect home. Nick was definitely the perfect match for the pup.

This is a story of two coming together to become perfect companions. Emerson found his "forever" home and the perfect human to share it with. This remarkably heartwarming story shows that maybe, just maybe, things happen for reasons.

Let us know your thoughts on Emerson's struggles and his subsequent adoption by Nick. Be sure to let others see this video for themselves by passing this article along to family and friends.