When a man adopted a puppy to be his best friend, he had no idea that his life would change forever.
Chris Hannah, a music teacher of Mennies Elementary School in Vineland, New Jersey, decided to adopt a dog who would keep him company. When he checked the website of the local animal shelter, the first dog that he saw was a beautiful white puppy described as a special needs dog. He was born deaf, and he carried the name, Harry Potter. Chris had a nephew who was born hard of hearing, so he thought that he could relate to Cole, and they would be a perfect match.
While Chris was waiting at the shelter to see the puppy, there was another family who was in line to meet him, too. Chris heard one of them say that the dog was broken, and he would never be a good dog. He was disappointed with what he just heard and thought of his nephew. Those words never left Chris’s mind and they motivated him to start a life mission.
He ended up adopting Harry Potter. He was so excited to have a new best friend that he told all of his classes that they would soon meet him. He conducted a school-wide vote on what to name the new puppy.
Everyone knew that his favorite movie was about a music teacher who had a deaf son named Cole, so it was a unanimous decision. The new puppy was to be named Cole. By sharing Cole the puppy’s story, Chris realized that his students were learning acceptance of the differently-abled.
Cole naturally became a part of Chris’s school family. He made classroom appearances, joined school events, and participated in holiday concerts. Chris noticed that the children were always so happy to see him. His presence had a positive effect on them that the natural course of action was to train him to become a therapy dog.
When he passed his certification, Chris started the Team Cole Project. They made regular visits to hospices and a veterans’ home where the residents officially named him a mascot. Cole also got to work side by side with Chris in school.
When the pandemic started, they found creative ways to reach their students and veterans because Chris knew that Cole was needed more during this difficult time. They used social media to reach out to everyone. They sent out recorded messages to veterans. The students got to have virtual visits and watch bedtime stories on Cole’s YouTube channel.
Chris knew that the lockdown was difficult especially for the children, so they would drive around in their community just to see the students briefly. The children would make posters and wait eagerly wait for Chris and Cole to drive by.
Team Cole Project’s mission is to show the world that inability is not a disability. Cole is a deaf Pit Bull who is making the world hear his message of kindness.
Source: Cole the Deaf Dog via YouTube