When cutie-pie Boogie arrived at the Aiken County Animal Shelter as a hungry stray, it didn’t take him long to win the hearts of the FOTAS volunteers and shelter staff. The white, 2-year-old, 40-pound mixed breed made everyone smile with his goofy grin and outgoing personality. A true social butterfly, we thought he would be adopted as soon as he became available.
What we didn’t know when he first arrived is that sweet Boogie is deaf. Being a special needs pet made rehoming him a bit more challenging. However, the staff and volunteers worked with Boogie and taught him some sign language gestures, which he picked up quickly.
It took a month before someone adopted him. Unfortunately, they returned Boogie the next day because their other dog didn’t want to share the house with another pet. So, Boogie waited for another chance.
It took some more time and patience. But after weeks of being overlooked by shelter visitors, Boogie met Brittany Cook and his life changed forever.
“When we saw him on Facebook, we just had to meet the handsome boy,” Brittany said. “From day one, we fell in love with his big personality and were thrilled with how quickly he became attached to me and my children.”
Boogie’s new family renamed him Ghost and promptly took him shopping. The day we brought him home, my daughter Lona and I took him to PetSmart where he picked out his teddy bear that he sleeps with,” Brittany said. “Ghost loves his toys. He still has his favorite red toy that he had at the shelter and all the tennis and rubber balls that a dog can dream of.”
To help Ghost adjust and feel more comfortable in his new home, Brittany and her kids learned American Sign Language (ASL).
“His loss of hearing was an adjustment at first for my younger children,” Brittany said. “But once they picked up on ASL and hand gestures, everyone adapted great.”
Ghost’s favorite place for napping is on one of the children’s beds under the blankets with his toys. He has had no accidents in the house and is a big mama’s boy. He loves mealtime and waits patiently while his food is prepared.
“Ghost is always getting extra cuddles from the children, and he’s become part of the family,” Brittany said. “We couldn’t be happier and hope to adopt from the shelter again in the future.”
Their lives are in our hands.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director
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