Well, it took a while, but finally that special person came along to adopt two very special little dogs -- our dynamic duo, Katie and Spencer, both of whom are blind and deaf. In the photo above, their new Mom, Shelby M., is on the right holding Katie while Alayne holds Spencer.
We've had Katie and Spencer on PetFinder for adoption for almost a year, and the PetFinder stats would show about 200 "views" each week -- far more than the others we had on PetFinder. Yet I think in all that time we had only three inquiries on them, each from people who didn't have fenced yards and didn't appear to understand why having a fenced yard for a blind and deaf dog would be, um, essential.
Most people just have a hard time understanding how a blind and deaf dog can have a good quality of life, and I think the double disability was really a show-stopper for almost all the people who saw Katie and Spencer on PetFinder.
But we never got discouraged, because we knew that eventually the "right someone" would want to adopt this lovely brother/sister pair. It turns out that Shelby, who is a librarian in Augusta, Maine, has a blind and deaf Pug -- so she already knew that dogs with this twin disability can still have a wonderful quality of life.
Here's a photo of Spencer and Katie that I took this afternoon, not long before Shelby arrived to meet them for the first time:
Shelby, thank you so much for adopting these adorable little ones!
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The new Shelter Challenge started Monday, January 9 and ends at midnight on March 18. Grand prize in this round is $5,000, plus $1,000 for weekly winners and $1,000 for state winners. There are also other categories ... please see the Shelter Challenge website for details.
*** Okay, this is important, folks: We are now LISTED UNDER OUR NEW NAME, ROLLING DOG FARM. State is still NH for New Hampshire. ***
Please remember, you can vote every day ... consider bookmarking the voting page to make it easy.
We won $1,000 as a weekly winner in the last contest, and thousands more in the previous contests. The Shelter Challenge really does bring in a lot of money for the animals here!
You can vote in the Shelter Challenge here.
Oh yay!! I was so hoping they would get a forever home! If it wasn't for the Atlantic Ocean and a very big continent or two in the way...
Librarians are just the best people, aren't they (guess what I do for a living!!)My Old Girl is now 14yrs old, 90% deaf and steadily going blind, but boy oh boy does she move!!
Thank you Shelby, for listening to your heart. And thank you Steve & Alayne (and Kate!)for taking such great care of these precious ones.
We're having an early onset autumn with quite nippy mornings here, hope you have some sunshine soon! Love & hugs to all.
Posted by: bregda & boemsie (south africa) | February 14, 2012 at 03:10 AM
How utterly adorable these 2 are. And now they will live happily ever after! Thank you Shelby for giving these 2 gems a wonderful home! Thanks Steve and Alayne!!
Posted by: Angela | February 02, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Yay! Hope Shelby's pug is ready for double trouble! So glad to hear Katie and Spencer have found a wonderful home! :)
Posted by: Kate & Luke | February 01, 2012 at 07:51 PM
This is just wonderful for Katie and Spencer. I can't wait to see photos of the twosome with their new siblings. I'm sure they'll be very appy in their new home. Thank you Shelby!
Posted by: Barb Ribinski | January 31, 2012 at 09:16 AM
What a wonderful post to read at the beginning of the week!
Posted by: Karla | January 30, 2012 at 11:44 PM
Shelby - God bless your generous heart! May your home be filled with the pitter-patter of lots of little puppy dog feet, wagging tails and sniffy noses!
Posted by: Lisa K. - San Diego | January 30, 2012 at 06:26 PM
Great news! It's so terrific to not only see these wonderful animals get a new lease on life at Rolling Dog Farm, but then see some get families of their own. Hurrah!
Posted by: Peggy | January 30, 2012 at 05:34 PM
Congratulations Katie and Spencer! Glad they have found a great new home. Shelby, thanks for the update post -- sounds like they have a wonderful new family!
Posted by: Tonya Allen | January 30, 2012 at 04:46 PM
So touching... and wonderful news! They are obviously sweeties and inseparable. Wonderful news. Happy tears for you all!
Posted by: Margaret | January 30, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah!!!! Congrats Katie, Spencer and Shelby! I am so glad they will have a home with someone who already appreciates their unique 'abilities'. Thank you S & A for taking such wonderful care of them all this time, including sifting thru the weeds (as Lisa A. put it) to find them a good home of their own.
Posted by: Anne in FL | January 30, 2012 at 12:28 PM
My gosh, all of these lovely comments brought tears to my eyes. Katie and Spencer spent their first night in a pen that was separated by a baby gate, or that's how they started the night anyway. By morning Spencer had managed to climb over the gate and was sleeping beside Katie. They have introduced themselves to Manny (the Pug), Sabrina (the bossy Chihuahua), Gabriel (the large kitty), and Princess Bettina and Homer (the bunnies). So far Princess Bettina has been the most welcoming, but I have high hopes for the others. I'll try to get some pictures soon. Thanks to Steve and Alayne for all the great work they do.
Posted by: Shelby Monroe | January 30, 2012 at 12:22 PM
These sweet dachshunds now have a new home. Good for them! Oh how I love my dachshunds!
Posted by: Kathleen Rivard | January 30, 2012 at 11:08 AM
*****GREAT***** ~ wonderful FEEL GOOD news for this adorable duo! Congratulations to the new adoptive family!!
Posted by: Valerie | January 30, 2012 at 11:08 AM
How absolutely wonderful!! Shelby will no doubt be doubly blessed with Katie and Spencer in her life.
Posted by: Barbara Techel | January 30, 2012 at 09:58 AM
How wonderful!!! I am sooo happy for Spencer and Katie and Shelby as well!! They are the most wonderful happy pair of dogs I have ever met. Thank you so much Shelby for adopting these two. I know you will enjoy them as much as they will enjoy you and your other dog.
Posted by: Laura, Levi & Timmy | January 30, 2012 at 09:36 AM
Happy dance happening in Washington!
Posted by: Mary H. | January 30, 2012 at 08:10 AM
i am always so surprised that people think blind and deaf dogs can't have a high quality of life. we've got a double merle aussie who is blind and deaf and he is the happiest dog we know! he can do pretty much anything another dog can! (besides, you know, see and hear :)
glad these two found a wonderful home.
Posted by: erin | January 30, 2012 at 07:57 AM
"only three inquiries on them, each from people who didn't have fenced yards and didn't appear to understand why having a fenced yard for a blind and deaf dog would be, um, essential."
Lord almighty I'm speechless by this...thank you so much for weeding out the uhh...weeds. How can people think they don't have a quality of life...they have noses! A dog's most trusted body part! Good luck to you pups, congrats on your new home! :o)
Posted by: Lisa Ammirati | January 30, 2012 at 07:42 AM
This is such sweet news to start the week with!! Shelby, thank you so much for finding these two and I pray for lots of updates with the puggie in the picture too :D
Posted by: Jessica, NL | January 30, 2012 at 06:00 AM
This is just the kind of news I need to hear on a cold, snowy January morning!
I'm thrilled for all involved!
Thank you so much, Shelby, for opening your home & heart to this adorable duo. I'm sure your Pug is happy, too, to have two brand new siblings and playmates.:-)
A big hug to you all from freezing northwestern Italy.
Posted by: Carla Polastro-Nigro | January 30, 2012 at 04:20 AM
Oh, what wonderful news! Thank you, Shelby for bringing Spencer and Katie into your life and home. They are truly special and I know that they will shower you with love!
Please send us updates on how they are doing!
Posted by: Ann | January 30, 2012 at 12:06 AM
How exciting that Katie and Spencer got adopted! We're sure going to miss blogs about them. Let's hope Shelby will keep us updated by sending photos that we can see. Good luck to Katie and Spencer and their new pug sibling and new Mom.
Posted by: Barb Ribinski | January 29, 2012 at 11:13 PM
What a cute pic of Spencer and Katie! Looks like they were making themselves especially adorable for Shelby.
Best wishes to all of you!
Posted by: Chloe | January 29, 2012 at 10:32 PM
So glad these little doxies got a wonderful home. I hope that Shelby keeps you and the rest of us updated with news about this little doxie duo.
Posted by: Julie & her Three Doxies: Lucy, Annie and Brody | January 29, 2012 at 09:32 PM
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!
Shelby I love you for adopting Katie and Spencer such a loving pair. Steve and Alayne love you for caring for them over the years until Shelby came along! We will miss them but are so THRILLED!!! It truly brings tears to my eyes!!!
Posted by: Shirley * James/Portland, OR | January 29, 2012 at 09:23 PM
That is over-the-top wonderful. Of course, they needed to stay together and what better Mom than one who already knows. Congrats to everyone, human and canine!
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | January 29, 2012 at 08:54 PM
I am SO happy for Katie and Spencer. Sometimes it takes a little while for the right home to come along. I know these two will be so happy. Good news like this is how we love to start our week.
Posted by: Betsy | January 29, 2012 at 08:08 PM
What a lovely story!! I am so glad they found just the right person for them - as you said, being patient helps because the right person will show up eventually and she did - God bless her!! So happy for them and for her and for you two for caring for and loving them so much. They are absolute dolls!! Bless you for all that you do.
Posted by: Joanne Standen | January 29, 2012 at 08:00 PM
This is just too teriffic! Met these sweeties last summer. So glad they found a forever home with someone who understands their challenges. Best wishes to Shelby and her gang. Let us know how they are doing with their new Pug buddy.
Posted by: Peggy S. | January 29, 2012 at 07:56 PM
That's wonderful! But I know you guys will miss these two. Good thing you have ice and wood to keep your mind busy! Hope we get updates and pictures from their new mom when she has time!
Posted by: Linda Murphy | January 29, 2012 at 07:52 PM