Deaf and Blind Dog’s Life Story Inspires People Around the World [Video]

• Piglet is a little pink dog who is blind and deaf. 
• Because of his condition, he was always scared and never trusted anyone. 
• But with love and support from his mom and siblings, he is now a confident dog and a social media star that inspires thousands of people! 

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Melissa Shapiro never thought Piglet, who is a blind and deaf dog, would make such a huge impact on her life and others. 

Being a special little one, Piglet has become a symbol of acceptance, love, and bravery amidst these challenging days. His story is  inspiring a lot of kids to learn to accept themselves.

Initially, Melissa, who is a veterinarian, only agreed to foster Piglet. It was a bit challenging because of the pup’s condition but she persevered. As it turned out, it was one of the best decisions she made in her life. 

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Piglet has always been an enthusiastic learner. When he arrived here as a foster dog we immediately started working on tap signals. All of of my puppies learn basic dog “obedience” skills very early on. I teach them sit, down, stay, wait, look, come, and go pee. I knew it was important for Piglet to learn this type of communication but I didn’t realize the impact that tap and touch would have on his overall growth and confidence. We had a tiny screaming deaf blind dog who couldn’t figure out how what to expect from one minute to the next. He happens to be an exceptionally intelligent smart dog (taking brag rights here). I didn’t know how long it would take for him to catch on, but using simple clicker training substituting a tap for the click, Piglet learned “sit” in about 3 minutes. From there it was smooth sailing to the point that he has a repertoire of quite a few taps that give him something to think about, respond to, and build on. We hope everyone will join us at 7PM tonight (NY time) for an IG Live session where I will discuss Piglet’s tap signals, and how we communicate with each other. . . . #pinkpigletpuppy #tapsignals #deafblind #accessibility #accommodations #disableddog #instagramlive #weeklyfluff #animalsinfluence

A post shared by Piglet, deaf blind pink puppy (@pinkpigletpuppy) on Jul 7, 2020 at 2:22pm PDT

Piglet suffered from anxiety the first time he came into his new home. He felt scared and alone in his new environment, but Melissa did her best to care for him. Thankfully, her husband, and their other dogs, were there to give him so much love. 

“He screamed his way through the first few weeks of our ‘foster project,’” Melissa told People. “We held him, taught him tap signals, and reassured him with a comfortable, reliable routine. In turn, Piglet connected with his human and dog family, gained confidence, and started to settle down.”

The little pup started to build trust with his humans and eventually became confident. He realized he could do everything that he wants, as long as her mom and siblings are there to support him. 

Seeing Piglet’s massive progress, it became clear to Melissa that the pink dog is exactly where he’s meant to be. And so, in May, he became officially part of the family as their seventh canine. 

Unexpectedly, he has also risen as a social media star, in which he inspires thousands of followers from around the world with his wonderful life story. 

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Join Piglet and his pack for “The Invisible Challenge”. I had no idea how this was going to go. I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone broke through. As it turns out, all the dogs were hysterically adorable as they pondered and reacted to Saran Wrap that was blocking their entry into the kitchen. You can see their individuality throughout the video starting with the tiny pink boy Piglet and ending with our sweet little Anna. Enjoy!!. Side note- Please don’t feel bad for Piglet. This is where he shines. He hit a soft obstacle and immediately figured out how to move past it with his positive Piglet Mindset.#barked

A post shared by Piglet, deaf blind pink puppy (@pinkpigletpuppy) on Jul 10, 2019 at 1:20pm PDT

One teacher even started teaching lessons about what he called the “Piglet mindset” — which echoes positivity in overcoming obstacles. 

As soon as Melissa learned of this, she turned it into an amazing project — The Piglet Mindset Educational Outreach Program — that provides learning materials virtually helping more students learn how to have a positive mindset. 

Next year, they are scheduled to release his book entitled: “PIGLET: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family,” which tells the incredible story of his life.

Source: Inspire More