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When
I think of Sponge Bob, I can't help but think of Little Fievel (you know, that 80's cartoon movie with the cute little mouse with the big ears?) singing his song to the moon
and stars looking for his family.
“Somewhere
out there,
beneath the pale moonlight,
someone's thinking of me
and loving me tonight.
Somewhere out there,
someone's saying a prayer,
that we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there.
And even though I know how very far apart we are,
it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star.
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby,
it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky…”
Sponge Bob has been in boarding since May. Let me repeat that – since May. In the last 6+ months, we’ve had a
large handful of dogs that have been in need of foster homes, and the public
has rose to the challenge for every dog … except Spongey. Let’s talk for a minute here – Sponge Bob is
deaf. But please, don’t let that four letter word turn you away. Deaf dogs are a rare treat. They have no thunderstorm
anxieties. They don’t react to the neighborhood barking dog at 6am in the
morning. They give you awesome eye contact. They feel your emotions and read you
better than any dog or person in your life. They
have a happy go-lucky existence to them, because they live in a blissfully
happy world. Dogs that are deaf since
birth, like Spongey, know no different.
They are incredibly adept at picking up visual cues such as body language,
light changes, shadows or peripheral vision changes. They feel changes in their
environment much more easily than hearing dogs, picking up on different vibrations
in the floor when a guest walks in as opposed to a family member, a slight
change in the air pressure when a window is cracked in another room or just knowing when a car pulls in the
driveway.
Being deaf is not a downfall. It is an amazing attribute to an already
awesome canine. The problem with Spongey
is not his hearing. His hearing is just
another quirk for an adoptive family to love, much like families love family pets that chew shoes, lick their faces incessantly or give their best "puppy dog" look for just one more treat. The problem with Spongey isn’t really his
problem at all. It’s every person that
has looked at his pictures, read his bio and said, “Oh, I hope somebody falls in love with him” or “I
know someone will adopt him soon”. Well, that someone
hasn’t stepped up yet. Could that someone be you?
Living in
boarding can be stressful, consuming and even traumatic for some dogs. Luckily, Sponge Bob is resilient and is still
his happy-go-lucky self, but he needs our help. He deserves a comfy bed at the
foot of his Mom and Dad’s bed. He
deserves a house to call his own. He
deserves his own food bowl, his own toys, his own family.
Please
don’t let Sponge Bob’s deafness deter you from fostering or adopting him. He
would never let your needs deter him from joining your family. For more resources on how to welcome a deaf
dog into your home, check out the sites below.
**A great FAQ site as well as training tips: http://catatonic.freeservers.com/penny/deafdogs.html
**A great training site for hearing-impaired dogs: http://www.positivedogtraining.org/article/training-a-deaf-dog/
“Somewhere
out there,
if love can see us through,
then we'll be together, somewhere out there,
out where dreams come true.”
If you are interested in fostering or adopting Sponge Bob, have questions, or if you
would just like some more information before making a final decision, please
email Shana@carebullies.com. If you can't adopt or foster, please help by posting this on your wall or the wall of an organization you affiliate with. New eyes mean new homes ... and if Fievel can find his family, I think it's about time Sponge finds his. <3
UPDATE: Sponge Bob was foster-adopted in January 2012 and is excelling in his new home and learning how to live a happy and fulfilled life full of love. We wish him and his family all the best!! Thanks so much Sheri - you mean the world to CCB and Sponge Bob!
UPDATE: Sponge Bob was foster-adopted in January 2012 and is excelling in his new home and learning how to live a happy and fulfilled life full of love. We wish him and his family all the best!! Thanks so much Sheri - you mean the world to CCB and Sponge Bob!
