Adorable Pink Deaf-Blind Puppy Is On a Mission to Help Others

For Dog People
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What’s pink and fuzzy and cute all over? A piglet! Yes, but this particular pink one is Piglet, the blind and deaf puppy. And OMD (that’s in Oh, my dog) Piglet is not just adorable— he is on a mission to help kids overcome challenges.

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Thank you to Greta Bjornson and People.com for publishing a beautiful article about Piglet this afternoon. We want to welcome many new friends who found Piglet via that article. I’ve received many questions about Piglet so here is a brief summary of Piglet, the deaf blind pink puppy. Scroll to see a few adorable pictures of Piggy and his pack. Piglet is a double dapple doxie chihuahua mix. He was born in a hoarding situation. When two dapple color patterned dogs breed there is a 25% chance each puppy will receive two dapple genes. This is called “double dapple” or double merle which is linked to congenital ear and eye defects. Piglet is deaf and blind. Piglet faces his challenges with a positive attitude. This is called a Piglet Mindset. He is an exceptional growth mindset model for children and adults. Our Piglet Mindset Educational Outreach Program is available on Piglet’s website for classroom use (free downloads). We are happy to support teachers who introduce Piglet to their students. We correspond via mail and email, send Piglet Merchandise, and visit when possible. Piglet is an animal welfare advocate. He encourages spay and neuter, educates about the severe consequences of double dapple breeding, and he encourages adoption of special needs pets. Our fundraising efforts have exceeded $30,000 which has all been donated to special needs dog rescues and other nonprofit organizations. Most of all, Piglet is an adorable, happy, entertaining tiny pink dog with a very positive attitude. He puts a smile on faces all around the world. Visit pinkpigletpuppy.org to learn more. And email with questions and inquiries. Pinkpigletpuppy@gmail.com. Keep an eye on Piggy’s stories this weekend as he will be in Columbus, Ohio participating in the Special K9 Games!! . . . #pinkpigletpuppy #deafdogsofinstagram #blinddogsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #doubledapple #animaladvocate #aspca #humanesociety #petinsider #tdafam #buzzfeedanimals

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After a very rough start in life, Piglet’s foster mom Melissa Shapiro started posting his journey on Instagram. And, after swiftly gaining over 170,000 followers, Shapiro knew that Piglet had a purpose in life— to share his message with the world.

The Courage to Teach

That message soon spread to a Massachusetts’ third-grade classroom after their teacher came across Piglet’s compelling story. If Piglet could persevere through his personal challenges, so could her students. She called it the “Piglet Mindset.” Correspondence between Shapiro and the teacher led to Piglet having a surprise visit to a classroom of delighted students.

Fuzzy Beginnings

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This is a picture of our tiny pink boy when he first arrived as our foster baby. Even tho we weren’t planning to keep him, we still wanted to be sure we gave him the absolute best care possible. After all, that’s what all dogs deserve. This is a PSA. Last summer, the FDA released a report describing an increased incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs. This is a very serious type of heart failure that can lead to death. It is likely that this increased heart disease is related to certain pet food diets although the exact cause is still unknown. Given the complexity of the issue, I’m highly recommending that all dog parents speak to their dog’s veterinarian to get up to date recommendations on which food is best for their individual dogs. There is an abundance of false info floating around on the internet that is difficult to sift through. So please, speak to your trusted veterinarian. We hope everyone has happy healthy holidays! . . . #pinkpigletpuppy #psa #doghealth #healthypet #dogfood

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Piglet has come so far from his rough start in life in a hoarding situation. The dachshund-Chihuahua mix was born deaf and blind as a result of  being “double dapple.” When two dapple dogs mate, there is a 25 percent chance the puppies will inherit two dapple genes, and congenital eye and ear problems with it. Lucky for Piglet, he was rescued and brought to a shelter, where Shapiro took him home to foster. And guess what? She adopted him. Gotta love a foster fail.

Snuggly Rewards

During the first few months, Piglet needed lots of extra care and attention. This little disabled pup was terribly scared and filled with separation anxiety. He was in a constant state of panic and screamed when he wasn’t sleeping. Shapiro couldn’t even leave his side at all during the first month.

Greet Everyone with a Wag

Shapiro devoted lots of time and care to help the little dog be strong and courageous, and Piglet proved to be quite the little pink trooper. He went from a scared, cowering puppy to a brave dog excited to take on the world, meeting people, snuggling with his dad, and playing with his dog siblings. This little powerhouse of a dog brought smiles wherever he went.

The Goods

Now there’s a Piglet Mindset Educational Outreach Program that has taken classrooms by storm from Connecticut to Japan and even Australia using free downloadable materials.

According to his website, Piglet’s mission is to:

  • Encourage spay and neuter of dogs and cats.
  • Educate about the severe consequences of double dapple/merle breeding.
  • Inspire and motivate others to adopt special needs pets.
  • Facilitate Piglet Mindset outreach to teachers and students.
  • Fundraise for special needs dog rescues and other nonprofit organizations.
  • Put a smile on faces all around the world.

Shapiro and the little pink puppy who could have helped to raise more than $30,000 for special needs dog rescues and other nonprofits! Now, that’s the Piglet Mindset.

Go pink and find Piglet on his website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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Rhona Melsky

Rhona Melsky is a longtime journalist/writer/editor, photographer, animal advocate, dog and horse rescuer, and classically trained singer who sings in a rock band. She shares her home with Gracie, an adopted former racing greyhound, and a husband.

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