Blind And Deaf Puppy That Looks Like A Baby Piglet Helps Kids Deal With Their Differences
Sometimes we need a little inspiration to remember to never give up…And a little deaf and blind puppy named Piglet is just that inspiration, writes blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood
The shockingly cute Piglet was fostered by a Connecticut veterinarian named Melissa Shapiro, after he was rescued and sent to a shelter.
It was clear that the little dachshund-Chihuahua mix was going to require a lot of work, so Shapiro took him in with the intent that it would be a temporary situation. However, after two months, it was clear that Piglet had found his forever home.
Piglet was born into an overcrowded home in Georgia, having lived alongside 35 other puppies!
Piglet is Shapiro’s seventh dog. Even though he’s living life “like a little prince,” the beginning wasn’t without its transition challenges.
During an interview with People, Shapiro said, “It was quite a decision to make. He is a lot of work and he is like a full-time job, taking care of a little disabled baby. But he’s so cute, and we couldn’t give him away at that point. He was so anxious, he was screaming constantly. He would play, then go to sleep, but when he wasn’t doing either of those, he was screaming. I couldn’t leave the house the first month I had the dog here.”
Shapiro has been documenting Piglet’s incredible life journey on Instagram, where the little pup has accumulated more than 116,000 followers.
Piglet has come a long way, transforming from a panicked little pup to a now-confident boy who enjoys meeting new people.
But it isn’t the end. Shapiro revealed to People that she made the decision to keep him with the intent that “he needs to have some bigger meaning.”
Piglet’s story eventually made its way to a third-grade classroom in Massachusetts, where the teacher had an idea of using Piglet as an example for the students as to why you should never give up, and how life’s struggles can lead to growth and greatness.
Shapiro explained, “She called it Piglet Mindset, and we corresponded throughout the year. At the end of the year, we surprised the kids. They thought we were going to FaceTime, and we walked in with Piggy in his stroller and three of my other dogs, and everyone was crying.”
Piglet Mindset has now caught on in classrooms across Alabama, Connecticut, Japan, and Australia, where promoters of the Piglet Mindset Outreach program want to help teach kids how to combat problems while using what they have as their best defense. If you’re interested, you can download the materials here for free.
Through social media promotions and merchandise, Shapiro and Piglet have fundraised more than $30,000, all of which has been donated to rescues for special needs dogs, as well as other non-profits.
Shapiro hopes to one day be able to start her own non-profit in order to be able to give more money to rescues.
She adds, “People are afraid to adopt these animals, they think that it’s going to be too much work. But people see Piglet’s page and I get so many notes from people that because of him, they just adopted. It’s rewarding to know that people are taking the lead and being inspired by Piggy. It makes a lot of people really happy to know him.”
What a very heartwarming story. Piglet is just the best boy!
Source: blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
