GALION — The story of a blind and deaf Border Collie caught the attention of Galion residents John and Noel Lizotte a few weeks ago, and plans to adopt her were set into motion.
John read about Hope in a post on Facebook in a group he belongs to called Deaf Dogs Rock, a group that specializes in education about deaf dogs and placing them in forever homes.
John said he contacted the shelter that took in the stray dog.
“It is unbelievable that she survived as a stray dog since she cannot hear or see. Most shelters will euthanize them right away but luckily, the shelter that took Hope in as a stray did not do that. It is very fitting that she was named Hope,” John said.
John, who created the non-profit Rescued Rollers-Wheelchairs for Dogs after adopting Ranger, another special needs Border Collie, contacted The Underdogs Rescue that was working to locate a home for Hope.
“The rescue is located near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in Edmond. Hope is approximately one-year-old and is a double-merle which means her parents are both merles. When you breed two merles, one in four are blind and deaf,” John said.
John said friends of his at a rescue in Texas called All Border Collie Rescue volunteered to transport Hope to Ohio.
“Meiko Parker of the rescue in Oklahoma drove Hope to Texas for us,” John said.
Hope then spent the night with one of the rescue’s board members, Howard Lead.
“He took care of her for the night,” John said.
John said Charles Zeto, a pilot and volunteer at All Border Collie Rescue, volunteered to fly Hope to Dayton with a group of executives he was transporting for the company he works for.
“I went to Dayton to pick her up on Saturday,” John said. “I had so much help, from all over the country, in getting her here. There are a lot of good people out there if you know where to look for them.”
John said Hope has settled in quickly with Ranger and the family’s other dog, Josie.
“Hope has the sweetest disposition. Many dogs that are blind and deaf can be very temperamental but she is not. I am training her through sign language on her skin, which are called touch-signals, and she is doing very well already,” John said.
John said that Hope will be an ambassador for the special needs classes he teaches along with Ranger.
“She is a great dog and making the decision to adopt her was one of the best decisions we have made,” John said.
For more information about Rescued Rollers, visit https://www.facebook.com/RescuedRollers/?pnref=lhc.
