A deaf man has found his ultimate canine companion after adopting a rescue pup who is also hearing impaired, People reported.
Nick Abbott, 31, came across the sweet dog on Facebook after a local rescue shelter posted pictures of the black lab mix, named Emerson, back in March.
The shelter, North Florida Rescue of Maine, posted the pics in an effort to finally find Emerson his “furever” home.
“All of his siblings have been adopted and he is left wondering why no one wants to give him a forever home,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “He wants everyone to know that even though he may be deaf, he is still an AMAZING little pup with SOO much love to give!”
In a separate post , NFR explained that Emerson had a tough start to life after he was found on the streets with his siblings at six weeks old. He was prone to seizures and also developed parvo after he was rescued.
Emerson’s temporary foster mom, Lindsay Powers, posted even more pictures of him on her own Facebook to try and find this sweet pup a loving family.
In her post , she wrote that it’s unclear if Emerson was born deaf or if the seizures caused his hearing loss. At any rate, she emphasized that this dog is “a happy go lucky little dude” who responds to vibrations.
“Please don’t look me over because you see that I’m a ‘Special needs’ dog,” Powers wrote on behalf of Emerson. “The only thing special about me is my heart and my spirit!”
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Abbott came across Powers’ pictures of Emerson and said he found the pup’s disabilities to be the most appealing thing about him.
“I was drawn to him right away because we had similarities,” Abbott told CBS News . “I felt I could understand him.”
He submitted an application to Powers, which she then processed within the day. The two were able to meet in person and instantly hit it off. Emerson had finally found his forever home and family.
Since neither Emerson nor Abbott can hear, these two have found a unique way of communicating with each other.
In order to teach Emerson basic commands, Abbott has used sign language, and the pup now knows such commands as “sit,” “lie down,” and “come.”
“If Nick reaches up and shakes his earlobe, Emerson will bark — it’s so cute,” Abbott’s mom, Richelle, told Good Morning America . “It’s amazing. Whenever they’re together, Emerson is always finding a way to lean on Nick.”
Their story has touched so many people that Abbott has created an Instagram so their fans can keep up with their adventures.
Abbott regularly posts pictures of the growing Emerson, showing him playing with other dogs, enjoying car rides, and not quite enjoying bath time.
In a few videos, Abbott demonstrates Emerson’s incredible ability to understand sign language as he sits when his owner presents him with a closed fist.
NFR has since shared a follow-up Facebook post to express their happiness at Emerson finding his perfect owner.
“Emerson is a fighter,” the post reads. “Our brave little warrior. Being ‘different’, Emerson had a harder time finding his happy ever after.”
Then, of course, Abbott came along, and everything changed: “When Nick and his mom walked into the house to meet Emerson, he made a direct line for Nick and sat at his feet. That’s all it took. I was sold that this is fate, and these two belong to each other.”
They added, “This boy deserves nothing short of a fairy tale ending and that is EXACTLY what he got!”
h/t: People , Good Morning America , CBS News , Facebook | NFR Maine