Probably many of us have heard about the powerful impact of therapy dogs, yet this one is very special: Cole is deaf. This therapy pit bull is sharing a very important message with the world that a disability is not an inability, it’s a superpower! The pup is impacting countless people’s lives and helping them to hear with their hearts.
Kids absolutely love Cole, so this year, they came up with a very heartwarming idea to make this dog’s 8th birthday a truly special day.
More info: Cole The Deaf Dog
Cole is a deaf therapy dog, and these school kids absolutely adore him, so they learned ‘Happy Birthday’ in sign language to give him an unforgettable surprise for his special day
At the beginning of his life, Cole went from family to family at the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter because he was deemed ‘broken.’ However, everything changed in 2017 when a public school music teacher, Chris Hannah, adopted the dog.
“I was ready to adopt my first rescue dog, and it just happened that the puppy was born deaf. I immediately thought of my nephew, who was also born deaf, and it really sparked a fire in me. It really changed my entire life, its mindset,” a man recalled.
Chris was instantly amazed by the dog’s remarkable ability to respond to sign language and his endless capacity to show tenderness and love. Shortly after Cole’s adoption, the man realized that this pit bull had a very special way with children and a very special way with humans, in general. Therefore, he started to train the dog as a therapy dog because he wanted to change the way people thought about differences.
It didn’t take long. Chris, together with his deaf nephew, started to teach other kids that there’s nothing wrong with being different. Cole not only helped students regain courage and self-respect, but he also inspired acts of kindness throughout the community.
“I honestly, in my heart, believe Cole knows that he was born to do this job. I would never do anything that I thought Cole wasn’t interested in doing,” Chris explained.
Five days a week, Cole is a full-time therapy dog in an elementary school, and a couple of days a week, he visits hospice patients. Chris, together with the dog, also participates in traveling school programs, where they talk about acceptance and disability awareness.
The dog has been a therapy dog at a local school for almost 7 years now
Cole has been a therapy dog at a local school for almost seven years now, and because of the kids’ long-standing relationship with him, they decided to organize a heartfelt surprise for the dog’s birthday to show how much they appreciate him.
They threw Cole a massive party. According to Chris, the pup got to ride around in a special birthday wagon, wearing an adorably cute outfit and carried by members of the autism program, and once he reached the school’s cafeteria, the kids gifted him a one-of-a-kind song.
As a school, they have celebrated Cole’s birthday each year that he has been a member of their faculty, yet this time, students made sure to make the dog’s day extra special.
“Cole has been trained entirely with American Sign Language, which has inspired my students to learn the ‘Happy Birthday’ song in ASL for their favorite furry hero and best friend,” Chris shared in an interview with Bored Panda.
“To see almost 600 children signing the song to their favorite boy, their best friend, their inspiration, was breathtaking as his daddy and handler,” he said and added that seeing the love, compassion, empathy, and courage these students have gained from Cole was nothing short of magical.
The dog seemed to be truly overwhelmed with so much attention and love.
“He was so ornery all day, extra playful, acting super silly, which was definitely because he knew it was his birthday celebration day,” Chris explained. “The kids were so excited to be such an important part of his special day,” he added. They had practiced singing the song two weeks prior because they wanted it to be perfect for their furry friend.
Cole is a deaf pit bull pup, but he’s helping the world hear with their hearts
Cole’s therapy sessions during the years didn’t go unnoticed. The dog’s story reached national news and soon created a unique social-emotional project called the Team Cole Project, where pit bulls, together with Chris, have visited school assemblies all over the Tri-State area. The project has logged over 500 volunteer hours and received the Presidential Silver Service Award. The dog was also the first canine to win the Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Teacher Award!
It all started with the local elementary school, where Cole began changing lives immediately as Chris watched kids’ young hearts open with compassion. Now, the dog has become a true symbol of disability and acceptance for the entire world.
People on the internet wished Cole the most beautiful birthday and were deeply touched by the heartwarming surprise created by the elementary school kids
