Twelve pounds of adorable, Fanny came to us after her person passed away.

She was adopted from one of the City Animal Control shelters at one year of age in 2012. Her job was to cuddle and comfort her human Mom, who had been diagnosed with cancer. After she passed away, her human Dad was unable to provide care for her a year later.

I saw Fanny listed on Craigslist. Our kennel refrigerator died that day, and I was shopping for a used refrigerator. I searched under the Pets section for the word “deaf” to see if there were any community pets that might need help. Up came Fanny’s listing.

I emailed to the person who posted her, offering to take her into rescue. I also suggested listing her on another website to increase the chances that she would be seen. Fanny is a Maltese, a very desirable breed. Small deaf dogs usually adopt very quickly here. I hoped that by providing the referral, that he would be able to place her directly into a new home.

We were contacted to take Fanny, and of course we agreed to. She was pretty terrified upon arrival, and she had a really tough time with the transition.

Over the next few weeks, Fanny made it known that she was unhappy by screaming at the top of her lungs all day, not eating, pottying in the house, and not showing any signs of wanting to learn our routine. She was afraid of us, and our large dogs. Every time one of them moved near her, or tried to get to know her, she would emit an ear-splitting screech. She wouldn’t interact at all with Mia, our tiny deaf poodle mix. Our quality of life decreased right along with hers, and her unhappiness became a major stressor for Mark and I. She was too tiny for the kennel, and too traumatized to move her down there.

At that point, we always have to wonder if we are able to improve quality of life for the dogs. We would never want to cause a dog to suffer here, and that’s what Fanny was doing. She wasn’t currently adoptable- would you welcome a dog into your family that made you want to tear your hair out? Possibly with no opportunity to change the behavior? We kept trying, but saw zero improvement.

When we evacuated for the Sand Fire, past adopters John and Ari offered to take Mia and Fanny to their home so that they did not have to go to the state prison with the big dogs. I was hopeful that Fanny would do okay at their house and not cause undue stress there. Although she didn’t interact much with their dogs, she did bond with them. She proved to be a very picky eater, conning them to feed her Costco chicken. She didn’t want to go outside to potty- it was too cold. John and Ari had unending amounts of commitment and patience. It’s not possible to thank them enough for their life-saving commitment to Fanny. Time at their house gave Fanny an opportunity to decompress.

Fanny came back to us a couple of weeks ago because she needed to go to the vet to be checked for a limp. The minute she arrived, the limp mysteriously disappeared, which meant that it was probably an attention getting/manipulative behavior. She was much calmer, accepting of our large dogs, and no longer screaming. She even ate pretty regularly for us, and settled for kibble with canned mixed in. The difference was truly amazing. Because she was so much calmer, we were able to get to know her better, and see what she really needed in a new forever home. Fanny is unable to bark, but she does squeak to communicate. She was able to learn our routine very quickly this time around, and we were able to interact with her without scaring her. Fanny was now ready to be adopted!

We received an application that seemed perfect. A quiet household, retired, able to spend plenty of quality time with Fanny, and no other pets. We made an appointment to drive to San Diego to introduce her to her possible new family.

When I arrived yesterday evening, after a very slow drive in the rain and traffic, Carol and her daughter were waiting to meet Fanny. They were absolutely thrilled with her, she bonded with them instantly, and was so relaxed and happy. And so fast…….I never saw Fanny this happy. They were both very hands-on and nurturing with her, and she opened up right away.

I left their house a very happy person. This little dog was finally in a home where she would be cherished as a family member for the rest of her life, and would be able to put the trauma of being rehomed twice behind her.

I was also heading home to the Ranch with Klarence, a very handsome and sweet deaf Aussie mix that was pulled from a shelter en route. Two dogs getting a chance at a new forever in one day. I arrived home at 11pm, fed/watered Klarence and settled him in the kennel. Today is a brand new day for Klarence- we have full records on him, so we’ll be able to solve the behavior issues that made his owners give up and dump him in a kill shelter.

Every dog at our Ranch has a story. They come from all over the country from kill shelters, hoarding situations, unsafe living situations, and homes that don’t want them. Most of them are deaf, although we do also help a few hearing dogs here too. We have a big soft spot for dogs whose owners have passed away.

DOUBLE YOUR DONATIONS! Our fundraising goal for our year-end fundraiser is $ 10,000. All donations up to this amount will be matched, dollar for dollar, thanks to a wonderful and generous supporter!

Please donate to help more dogs like Fanny and Klarence have a chance at a happy new forever! Your tax-deductible donations make it possible!