Ivor is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier whose early life was filled with constant confusion as he was moved around from shelter to shelter. In less than a year, Ivor had five different owners, and he would always find himself being kicked out of a home just as he was settling in.

Each of the owners claimed that there was something wrong with Ivor and they all said that the dog was too loud and would not stop barking. At the end of 2017, Ivor was placed RSPCA’s system for sheltering animals once again. Given the fact that Ivor had been in so many homes, the shelter decided to investigate him more thoroughly.

When volunteers at the shelter tested Ivor’s hearing, they immediately realized something that none of his owners knew: he’s deaf!

Once they learned of Ivor’s disability, the volunteers began teaching the dog sign language so that they could communicate with him. He ended up being a quick learner, and was undoubtedly compelled to keep going in the hopes of finding love from an owner in the future!

Finally, Ivor was placed up for adoption once again and was adopted by Ellie Bromilow, who he bonded with immediately!

Ellie was on a mission to help Ivor in a way that no owner had before.

“He’d already learned the sign command for ‘sit’ and ‘come’ from the staff at the RSPCA centre, but now he knows lots more like ‘lie down,’ ‘stay,’ ‘all gone’ and he’s learning ‘roll over,'” she said.

Like deaf people, Ivor’s sense of sight, smell and touch are greatly enhanced.

“While other dogs may miss things, my eyes are trained to observe everything,” a post on his Facebook page reads. “Even when I sleep, I see all, I feel the vibration of doors and footsteps and can sniff a piece of ham from a mile away.”

“Having a deaf dog is just like having a hearing dog. We still speak to him as we sign and I chat to him a lot – even though he can’t hear a word,” Ellie said.

Ivor’s favorite activities are now taking naps and cuddling with Ellie. We’re so happy that this dog has finally found his forever home!

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