Hello, my name is Skye and I am a homozygous blue merle Australian Shepherd. Due to a merle to merle breeding, I am profoundly deaf. To learn more about this inheritance, Follow this link. http://www.asca.org/Education/Advanced/colorgen.htm

My mom rescued me from the local Animal Control where I had been surrendered by my previous owners. My blue eyes were so enticing I was named Skye. As soon as she brought me home and I saw my Dad, I fell head over paws in love with him! He adopted me on Christmas day, and I am very much "Daddy's girl". Like most people who discover they have a deaf dog, my family was a bit intimidated at first, but they quickly learned my motto of "Deaf, not dumb".

Everyone that meets me discovers that having a deaf dog is not scary, nor is it hard. What it is, is different. In order to communicate my family uses some signals called 'sign'. This seems to be a bit awkward at first, but then becomes second nature. People still talk to me because I understand facial expressions and body language as well as signs. If you visited our home you probably would never even realize I am deaf

There are various ways to get the attention of a deaf dog and many can be found on the links provided. Mom and Dad mostly use foot stomping when we are inside, and a flashlight outside, depending upon the specific situation. Some folks use a vibrating collar, but since I live in a large pack, we can't do that. We enjoy yanking on one another's collars in play too much for that!

I don't want nor need pity. I am happy and normal in every respect. I am one of the best watchdogs ever. Most of the time I see the shadow of a car coming before the hearing members of my pack hear it. Surprised? Don't be. After all, I am limitless!

http://www.deafdogs.org/

http://www.deafdogsatlas.com/profile/bioFL_JA.html

Merry, Merry, Quite Extraordinary

On Thanksgiving weekend of 1999, a friend and I made a six hour trek to pick up a nine week old puppy from Dothan, Alabama after learning that her breeder was going to destroy her. A small ball of fur was casually laid in my arms. Her markings resembled stars as she closed her tiny eyes to doze. To me, she was perfect. Others saw her plight as grim. She was supposedly blind from the cataracts that she was born with. She was not blind.

I decided this little bundle was much too special for the common Aussie name of Sydney she had been given, so I renamed her. Keeping her exuberance in mind, the happy, bouncing, feisty little snip of a thing became known as "Merry". She was a gregarious puppy who wound around our hearts, and was accepted without hesitation in the, (much smaller then) Aussie pack. She and her big brother, Maverick, formed a sweet and lasting bond.

Even though Merry was obviously not blind, her eyesight remained a concern and I contacted the University of Florida, Small Animal Clinic, Ophthalmology Service.

Drs. Dennis E. Brooks and Tim J. Cutler confirmed the diagnosis of cataracts. As news of this spread, we discovered that Merry's charisma would attract and inspire people merely from viewing her picture. Total strangers would write with prayers and inquiries about her. One day, a particularly touching care package unexpectedly arrived from a woman in California. She sent a check and angel nite light, along with a note that read, "A little something to help put the 'merry' back in Merry's eyes and to light her way until she gets there."

Due to Merry's outgoing personality, she has played many roles while growing up in the Aussie Resort. She has been an active playmate, a protector, and a motherer to many foster dogs. But as her cataracts grew, she became less playful and more reclusive. Her vision was slowly dissipating and it was apparent that the "if" of surgery, had now become the "when".

After nearly two years of monitoring the growth of her cataracts and fretting over the decision of proper timing, Dr. Tim J. Cutler and I set the surgery date. On September 25th, (Merry's second birthday) my "throwaway" puppy was the recipient of phacofragmentation.

The vet students at this teaching hospital rotate between clinics to foster a well-rounded education, and our student was Tim Baker. Merry and I both think that our luck of the draw was as good as winning the lottery. Tim's vigilant concern was key in lessening the stress to Merry during her hospital stay. As a team, the level of care and compassion afforded both Merry and myself from the staff at UF was beyond compare.

Her post surgery progress has been phenomenal, surprising all of us. (Including her doctors) But what would you expect from Merry...Merry...quite extraordinary?

One of Merry's puppy pictures is featured on the Aussie color page  http://www.ashgi.org/color/standardaussiecolors.htm

  And did we mention Merry was the featured December covergirl in 2006???

Special recognition to Dr. Tim J. Cutler, Merry's ophthalmologist. As both a professional and humanitarian he reigns supreme. Kudos also, to her favorite med student, Tim Baker. Empathy is this man's middle name.

**Personal note to Tim Cutler**

The gift of Merry's vision defies mere words. But know this...

For every time that Merry can see to catch a toy

and wiggles her happy Aussie butt....

For the joy in my heart as I gaze in her eyes

and I know she sees me too....

For the opportunity to experience sheer delight

watching with utter amazement as

Merry saw and followed a fly....

For giving her sight

and opening my eyes....

I will thank you again and again.

Like Skye, this gentle, loving guy, is a homozygous blue merle Australian Shepherd. We chose his name because in Australian slang it means great!

Bonzer's story didn't begin as a happy one. He was abandoned in Tyler, Texas. Tied to a tree, in a wooded cesspool, he was left alone to die. Luckily, someone called the authorities and he was brought to the Smith County Humane Society where many kind people came into play.

As an avid rescuer, I received a distress call looking for someone willing to take him. Because Bonzer's coloring is not the typical predominant white of many deaf Australian Shepherds, nobody realized at that point that he was deaf. When it was discovered, it was never an issue for us, since we already had Skye.

http://www.ashgi.org/color/white_aussies.htm

I contacted Gayle Helms at the Humane Society in Tyler, and expressed my wish to adopt. She graciously put her trust in me, even though we had never met.  We soon set up an elaborate transport to move Bonzer from Tyler, Texas to Jacksonville, Florida. This involved finding people who would drive relay style, meeting and handing off the dog to the next driver. Due to the great distance, planning was complex and encompassed many people, research and exact timing.

Amid television cameras Bonzer departed Tyler and arrived two days later safely with us. He was unfazed by all the commotion and gave everyone Aussie wiggles and smooches along the way. 

He has survived heartworm treatment and calls the Aussie Resort his forever home.. He is a true testament to the unconditional love of a dog, having never held his past against anyone, and further proof that deaf is not dumb!

You can see the article about Bonzer

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/070600/met_3473717.html

Dancer...Like a Red, Red Rose

Working with Aussie Rescue and being a charter member of AA (Aussieholics Anonymous) I am a frequent visitor to

Barry Brachman's Australian Shepherd Rescue Page.  

Like many others, I see the beauty in each and every dog.   But, also, like so many others I dreamt of that one that I would adopt. While I held an image in my mind, I knew ultimately it would be my heart that would lead me to the right dog.

On this particular day I was reading through stories and gazing at faces.  I sat with my jaw hanging open, totally dumbfounded.  There was the vision from my dream....Dancer

With trembling hands, I managed to email Dancer’s foster mom, Velleta Scott,  in Arkansas to see if she was still available for adoption.  Waiting for a reply felt endless.  It was actually minutes later that I discovered nobody had snatched this beauty up yet. After loads of emails and phone calls, arrangements were hammered out to transport Dancer here and as you can see she is now a resident of the Aussie Resort in hot, humid Florida!

Originally found as a stray with pups in tow, very thin, and heartworm positive, Velleta saw Dancer safely through heartworm treatment and nursed her back to health. It was her passion for playing with toys, tossing them about and wiggle 'dancing' that earned her the name of 'Dancer'.  **Kudos and thanks to Velleta Scott for all of her hard work with Arkansas Herding Dog Rescue.**

When Dancer arrived here she took up residence under the end table, refusing to come out. I threatened to put a lampshade on her head and just admire my newest dog. While she is comfortable with dogs, she’s painfully shy with people and very leery about having her head touched. We’ll probably never know the reason for that (and quite possibly we wouldn’t want to know anyway).

Dancer enjoys playing with Merry and zooming around the yard. She has proven to possess a great sense of humor, can be very mischievous, and is quite the instigator too! She has her place in the pack, fits in perfectly, and seems happy.

It has been a long, slow process, but as time goes by Dancer emerges from her shell more and more. As I sit here composing, my lovely rose lies at my feet. For most dogs this is a normal situation, but for Dancer this is a huge trust bestowed upon me. Seeing her make that progress is more of a dream come true than my visions could have ever revealed. She has truly danced her way into the hearts of all of us.

Unfortunately, Wallie's tale is not so very different from many other puppies that have been tossed out with the garbage. At a mere six weeks old, this odd-eyed, fuzzy fellow was found in a trash dumpster behind a grocery store. It was not the first time I had found puppies there, but this time was different. There was an air of 'meant to be' about him and he immediately won my family's hearts.

At first, his coloring fooled many into believing he was a Chow mix, but my vet assured me he was an Australian Shepherd mix. We quickly learned that this breed is highly intelligent, loyal, and loving and Wallie is no exception to this. Judging by the shape of his head and eyes, we feel that most likely a Cocker Spaniel was in his line as well.

Before Wallie was a year old, he became lame, carrying one leg up, and was diagnosed with a luxating patella. Simply put, that means his kneecap would not stay in place. This is common in tiny and giant breeds, but infrequent in mixed breeds. He had orthopedic surgery to correct it, and now has two pins in place. Hence, he is known as our bionic dog.

Wallie's favorite activity is licking people. This has earned him titles such as Sir Lixalot, power licker, etc. Thank goodness he is smart, so he responds to the command of "NO lick!". His faithfulness and bright mind sparked a love for the Australian Shepherd breed and although he is a mix, he is the beloved founder of this Aussie Six Pack.

Now 12, Wallie's lens on his eye has luxated which has made him blind in one eye. He has no problem with that, gets around just fine, and is still the little man with an attitude!