Deaf Dog And Owner Win A $5,000 Grant From Petco Foundation

CLEVELAND, OH -- For Mary Motley, of Walton Hills, helping care for dogs is a priority that she takes very seriously. Motley won a $5,000 grant for the Cleveland Animal Care & Control "City Dogs" program from the Petco Foundation. Her submission essay described how her dog Acorn, a pit bull type, has changed her life for the better.

Motley said that Acorn was returned to CACC by the previous owner because the six-month-old puppy “just didn’t listen.” Motley, who is a volunteer for City Dogs, fostered Acorn for a few days. Once she got Acorn home she wondered if it was a mistake. Acorn tore around the house and, as others had reported, Acorn wouldn’t listen to her.

The following day, Motely made a discovery. Acorn is deaf.

Since dogs respond well to hand gestures, Acorn did well with sign language. Motley eventually adopted Acorn and says he is the smartest, most focused dog she’s ever worked with. “He hears me with his heart,” she said.

City Dogs is a program of Cleveland Animal Care and Control. The City Dogs mission is to increase adoptions from the City Kennel by improving the image of the pit bull-type dogs who make up the majority of the kennel population.

The CACC have a holiday reduction of adoption fee program going on right now through 2 p.m. Christmas Eve at the facility on W. 7th Street just north of Clark Avenue and off I-490.

Photo By Petco Foundation