Girl who is deaf finds ‘best friend’ in puppy who is also hard of hearing

They seemed destined to be best friends long before they met.

Walter, a 9-month-old puppy, was born deaf, and coincidentally, so was his owner, Julia.

The terrier-Chihuahua mix was brought to the Pasadena Human Society & SPCA in December, along with four of his siblings.

Walter and his little girl Julia share an incredible bond

Meet PHS alum Walter and his little girl Julia. They share an incredible bond. Both were born deaf. Julia and Walter play together. Walter helps Julia with her homework and Julia teaches Walter sign language. Walter is Julia’s best friend.

Posted by Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA on Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Soon after, ten-year-old Julia's mom, Chrissy, noticed Walter on the organization's Facebook page and immediately inquired about him.

“When I first held Julia, since she couldn't really hear my voice, she would smell my neck,” Chrissy said in a humane society video. “And when I first held Walter, he did almost the same exact thing.”

The adoption was finalized in January, when Walter was 2 months old.

“I remember just looking at him and I just, I knew that he was meant to be ours,” Chrissy said.

The pair have developed a strong bond — they play in the backyard (after Julia finishes her homework, of course) and they're working together on signing.

“I never let her feel any different because of her hearing loss and it's amazing how she is doing the same with Walter,” Chrissy, who didn't want to give her last name, said in an email to TODAY.

That's something that Jamie Holeman, community relations associate for the Pasadena Humane Society, found particularly compelling.



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