It’s been four glorious years since the sassy little 12 week old Melby joined our family…and turned it upside down (in a good way).

We were devastated to lose our beloved Maybelle to a heart condition at the age of nine, way too soon for her bigger than life presence. So, there we were, now a family of four; us and our two boys Winston and Apollo. Winston, rescued from a life of starvation and neglect became our protector (especially to me, his forever grateful mommy) and Apollo, our sensitive lover, never saying no to a snuggle session. It took a while, but we were finally ready… ready to bring home a new sister for the boys. After searching the ABR website and going to countless adoption events (both in San Antonio and Austin), we found her! She had been surrendered by her previous owner(s), yes plural. The breeder she came from gave her away because she is deaf; the person who took her soon surrendered her to ABR because she is deaf. By the Grace of something bigger than us, we found her and WE LOVE HER BECAUSE SHE IS DEAF.

You see, our brave Winston was also deaf and his ever-present big brother Apollo taught him how to play with strange fuzzy things he wasn’t familiar with, enjoy the sun he seemingly never got a chance to, trust his new family (and friends), fall into a deep sleep and best of all, understand that he was now safe. We wanted to provide the same to our newest member; little did we know, Melby would teach us all greater things.

We started the adoption process and were anxious to learn that our house was deemed worthy of such a precious gift. It’s always nerve wrecking to introduce a new family member, but the boys took it all in stride and our new little bundle of joy took over. Within 24 hours she had her brothers (and daddy) wrapped around her pure white paw. So, there we were, now a family of five; us and our three beautiful white boxers…two of which are deaf.

In the four years since her arrival, her big brothers Winston and Apollo have since passed and we miss them every day. Melby now has 3 rescued brothers, Henry, Napoleon, and Augustus (and daddy) to boss around.

The following is a snapshot of our daily life with Melby…can you guess where her favorite spot is?

I want to thank everyone involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of these beautiful creatures. You guys are amazing! I applaud all the work and dedication it takes to make sure they get the best home possible.