This Deaf Man Adopted A Deaf Rescue Puppy And Taught Him Sign Language

Nick Abbott is a 31-year-old man from Maine who was born without the ability to hear. So, when Nick was perusing NFR Maine’s Facebook page only to come across the sweetest looking puppy who was also born deaf, it caught his attention immediately.

The puppy, whose name is Emerson, was being put up for adoption through NFR’s foster rescue program, and Nick knew that if ever there was a puppy out there just for him, Emerson was it.

Could there have been a more perfect furbaby match than one that struggled with the same biological issues as Nick, himself? Definitely not!

So, without thinking twice about the matter, Nick hurriedly got in touch with NFR and made arrangements for adoption.

Before being adopted by his interspecies soulmate, Emerson had been roughing his way through life.

When the rescue had first found the sweet little puppy, he was living as a homeless stray on the streets of Maine with the rest of his litter. Not only did the poor pup almost immediately begin to seizure once at the shelter, but he also came down with parvo, a disease affecting unvaccinated puppies that can be deadly if not caught and treated right away.

After making it through that hurdle, though, shelter workers became discouraged when they realized the 12-week-old puppy was also not only visually impaired but deaf to boot! They were wondering if they would ever be able to find the adorable lab-retriever mix a loving forever family.

Even though the shelter staff was beginning to think that finding the perfect family for Emerson might prove to be hopeless, they figured they’d give it their best shot by sharing the puppy’s story to their Facebook pagein an effort to find him his furrever family.

Thank God the shelter hadn’t lost all hope, because almost as soon as they loaded up his pictures with a caption telling of his journey so far, Nick stumbled upon it and was on the phone in no time.

He told the shelter that he wanted to have a meet and greet with Emerson because he had a feeling the two were meant for each other, explaining that he, too, had been born deaf and knew what the struggle was like.

Nick and his mom drove over to the shelter after the phone conversation so that he could go and meet Emerson for the first time.

Not knowing what to expect from the medically challenged puppy, Nick, his mom, and all the shelter staff were amazed to see how quickly Emerson seemed to bond to his new owner.

As soon as Emerson set eyes on Nick it was like he knew he had found his human.

The puppy instantly went and laid himself down quietly at Nick’s feet, and everyone knew that the two were destined for each other.

Once Nick had gotten Emerson settled into his forever home and the two were well acquainted, Nick got down to the relentless business of teaching the puppy how to read and understand sign language so that they could communicate with each other.

A testament to Nick’s own patience and training skills, Emerson picked up the new language faster than anyone could have anticipated!

The puppy now knows quite a bit of sign already! Not only does he know to bark when Nick wiggles his own ear lobe, but he also knows the signs for come, sit, and lie down!

As anyone could have guessed, these two have quickly become bonded for life now that they finally have each other.

Sharing their hearing impairment has only helped to bind these two even closer as they learn from one another, and Nick has even made an Instagram account called Nick and Emmerson, where you can stay current on all of what Nick refers to as “two deaf boys and their adventures!”

To see their unbelievably touching story, watch the video below.