The moment Walker saw the pit bull mix’s picture on one of the Humane Society of Midland County’s Facebook posts, he was in love. And it wasn’t just because the dog was happy-faced and white – Puppy also shared something with Walker: deafness. “This dog is deaf. Just like me! I need him—he’s my dog,” Mindy Cousineau recalled her 14-year-old son telling her. Puppy, as described in his photo caption, was “outgoing, smart and lovely” and good with other dogs; not to mention, a great listener who wouldn’t judge you for your late-night snoring habits.
The moment Jim and Mindy Cousineau saw Puppy, a 6-year-old dog abandoned at the shelter month earlier, they knew he was meant to come home with them–so they drove 35 miles from Bentley to adopt him.
Inspired by the line “Hey, Dave, listen up!” from the movie “Despicable Me,” Walker decided to name his new best friend after the character in the film.
Mindy explained that Dave choosing to sit in Walker’s lap was momentous because dogs can’t usually pay attention for long. “We already had two dogs at home, but when we saw Dave plop down into Walker’s lap, it was a done deal,” Mindy said. “It was like Dave was saying, ‘This is my person.'” Walker has high-functioning autism and bilateral hearing loss but can still hear high-pitched noises; however, he uses hearing aids to amplify low-pitched sounds.
“Until he was almost 10, Walker had pretty good hearing,” said Mindy. “But then he got influenza A.” She thinks the illness might have caused his hearing loss. Now sometimes he has meltdowns, and other kids at school tease him. But when Dave came along who’s also deaf- Walker immediately bonded with him. They became friends right away.”
Casey Nicholson of the Humane Society of Midland County says that Walker and Dave are perfect for each other because both could use some extra love. Dave was neglected by his original owners and left to run free outside, before being taken into another nearby home. However, when he didn’t get along with the chickens on that property, he was surrendered to the shelter.
Nicholson noted that upon Dave’s arrival, staff members were informed of his deafness. Despite Dave’s kind nature makes him a favorite among the employees, he was passed over for adoption on multiple occasions because of his deafness before Walker saw his photo online.
Dave and Walker’s friendship is a beautiful reminder that every pet in a shelter deserves a second chance at finding their forever family, said Brittany Schlacter, spokesperson for the Bissell Pet Foundation. Mindy also revealed that when Dave first walked into their home, he made himself right at home instantly.
Dave quickly started playing with the other dogs in the family, Doug and Darry, as well as Walker’s younger brother, Chase. “It looked like he had always lived with us,” she said. “When Dave came inside it was more like ‘Hey everyone! I’m finally here!’ We’ve all noticed a big change […]
The family was also elated to find out that Dave could already understand sign language commands. “He knows the signs for sit, stay, speak, shake, come, good boy, and leave it,” said Mindy. “It’s evident that whoever had him before clearly loved him dearly–he’s extremely intelligent and content.”
Since Dave arrived, Walker has been teaching him new tricks and enjoying it. All of us have welcomed Dave into the family and love him; he’s a fun-loving dog that likes to play fetch and run around outside. Because of spending more time with Dave, Walker has become social and wants to talk with kids at school now–he even joined the football team! It seems like Dave has helped ease some anxieties for Walker and given him confidence.”
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