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    • 30 Nov, 2021

    Dolly, a deaf young pup who came into her own

    Earlier this year, 18-month-old French bulldog Dolly found herself without a family. She wasn’t getting on with other dogs in the household and her owner decided it would be in Dolly’s best interests to bring her to Mayhew for rehoming.

    Born deaf, vulnerable Dolly had already faced big challenges in her short life. Sadly, she was about to go through more while she adapted to life without the reassuring sights and smells of home. Young Dolly’s world is silent, so to help her learn a new way of communicating that would take away her relentless worry and give her more confidence, we used hand signals to interact with her. And we were so proud of her when she started picking up sign language basics!

    To help ease Dolly’s anxiety about being in an unfamiliar place, we packed her kennel with soft, cosy bedding to make it feel homely, and she had plenty of toys to keep her occupied. And an open crate in her kennel meant she could retreat and feel secure whenever she needed reassurance. All these little things combined made a big difference to Dolly: building her confidence, helping her feel safe and making sure she didn’t lose her trust in people.

    Dolly went up for adoption, found her forever family, and settled into her new home in no time at all. Her adopter tells us:

    “In less than a week, Dolly has managed to take up various roles in the house. Her main jobs being supervising the hoomans, chief food-taster (purely as part of quality control!) and a master seat stealer...get up at your peril! She's a gorgeous loving girl and we wouldn't be without her. Thanks to all at Mayhew who were part of bringing her into our lives.”

    Dolly's adopter

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