Texas Puppy Was Left In A Dumpster With A Condition That Made Her Harder To Place
Francine the deaf pit bull puppy had a heartbreaking start to life, but her unique needs ended up being exactly what her new Texas mom was looking for.
A Heartbreaking Start
When a puppy is abandoned in the trash, it is hard to imagine the circumstances that led her there.
For one deaf and severely ill pit bull puppy, being found in a dumpster marked the beginning of a difficult journey.
Fortunately, someone found the discarded dog and brought her to animal control.
It was the first step in a journey that would change her life, and the life of her future mom, forever.
Speculating on Her Past
The puppy’s rescuers will never have the full details of why she ended up in a dumpster.
However, they suspect she may have come from a breeding situation.
A deaf and ill dog is simply not a puppy that a breeder can sell.
Because it can be incredibly expensive to provide the necessary medical care, someone likely decided to just throw her away.
An Irresistible Pitch
The puppy eventually made her way to a local rescue group called Dark Horse Dogs.
The person who runs the rescue reached out to Jess, a dog trainer, with a very specific question.
She asked Jess if she wanted to foster a “mangy, possibly deaf pit bull puppy.”
For Jess, the answer was an immediate yes. In fact, being mangy and deaf were the two selling points that won her over.
Healing the Little Meatball
The puppy, now named Francine, was in rough shape when she first arrived.
She was only five or six months old, but she was battling both bacterial and fungal skin infections.
Francine was also incredibly malnourished from her time on the streets.
To help her recover, Jess fed her almost three times as much food as a typical puppy her age.
A Loud and Joyful Personality
Despite her health issues, absolutely nothing slowed Francine down.
Once she settled into her foster home, she became a “little meatball with legs.”
Even though she is completely deaf, she is a very vocal dog who loves to bark and scream.
Jess quickly learned to identify about ten different pitches of Francine’s barks and whines, knowing exactly when she is hungry, bored, or just wants attention.
The Apartment Parkour Champion
Francine’s personality is challenging to sum up, but she is a constant source of entertainment.
She spends her days “parkouring” around the apartment, jumping up and off furniture.
She will launch herself off the couch, land on her side, and not even shake it off before doing it again.
As a dog trainer, Jess knows she shouldn’t laugh at such chaotic behavior, but Francine is clearly having so much fun.
Building a Silent Language
Because Francine cannot hear, Jess had to find new ways to communicate with her.
They use a variety of hand signals to navigate their daily routines.
Since Francine is easily scared of things outside, Jess trained her to make eye contact.
If Francine wanders more than ten or fifteen feet away, she always looks back for Jess, which helps her feel safe and grounded.
Delaying the Inevitable
As Francine’s health improved, Dark Horse Dogs began asking Jess if the puppy was ready to be adopted.
Every time they asked, Jess kept pushing the question off.
She stalled again and again, unable to let go of the quirky puppy sleeping at her feet.
Finally, Jess admitted the truth to herself and the rescue: she wanted to keep Francine forever.
A Beautiful Obsession
Today, Jess wants others to know that they shouldn’t be intimidated by special needs dogs.
She believes that sharing life with a dog like Francine is just as rewarding, and sometimes even better.
Jess often tells Francine she is sorry that someone threw her in a dumpster, knowing the sweet dog never deserved that.
But that dark start is far behind them now. Francine is unlike any dog Jess has ever met, and she is officially home.
