Lucky by name and nature!
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet...luckysweet.jpg
They say a dog is a man’s best friend but this pup and his new owner share an extraordinary bond.
A deaf Border Collie pup from The Mayhew Animal Home in London who was being trained by hand signals has been adopted by a deaf man.
Previous owners gave Lucky who was born stone-deaf, to The Mayhew Animal Home after they realised they couldn’t provide him the special care and attention he needed.
But after a few weeks at The Mayhew the seven-month-old demonstrated superior intelligence and learnt to overcome his disability by learning to respond to hand commands and eye contact.
Lucky had already learnt to sit, lie and leave the room on hand signal commands when deaf and retired Londoner Steve Reynolds fell in love with the affectionate pup and decided to adopt him.
The partially deaf Harlesden resident said he felt an instant affinity with lovable Lucky as soon as he saw him.
"I have to wear a hearing aid and have done so for several years," said Steve.
"I came in and saw Lucky on a Sunday and they told me he would need special attention and training. I went home and couldn’t stop thinking about him and then came back and got him. I feel we have a common bond."
Steve plans to take Lucky to special one-to-one training classes to teach him more hand commands.
"I would like to keep training him and do as much as I can."
Meanwhile Lucky has settled in well into his new home after moving in last weekend.
The Mayhew Animal Home based in Kensal Green, London will be closely monitoring the pair’s progress.
For more information about the Mayhew Animal Home, visit their website at www.mayhewanimalhome.org.
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
