Deaf bull terrier Storm’s bark definitely worse than her bite
But carers fear she will not be rehomed
DOG carers at a Harefield re-homing centre are worried that a Staffordshire bull terrier cross might struggle to find a home due to chronic ear problems, which cause her to bark extra loud so she can hear herself.
Storm, an 11-year-old cross-breed, currently lives at The Dogs Trust in west London after her owner could not look after anymore because they no longer had a fixed address. After suffering from infections, Storm now has problems with her ears that may have permanently damaged her hearing, meaning she barks twice as loud.
Centre manager at the Harefield Dogs Trust, Richard Moore, said: “Storm has by far the loudest bark in our kennels at the moment. It feels as if she is trying to bark louder so that she can hear herself.
“It occurred to us she may not even realise how loud her bark is as it’s possible her hearing was affected by past infections. Storm is especially vocal when potential adopters walk past her kennel so we are concerned that this may be putting people off adopting her.”
Storm is described as a ‘friendly, larger than life character’ who loves attention and would be suited to a family with children as young as 11.
Storm at Harefield Dogs Trust rehoming centre has hearing problems that make her bark extra loud.
An affectionate pet, the Dogs Trust said Storm would be best suited to a home without any other pets. Although she does not bark often, Mr Moore said owners with ear muffs would be well prepared.
He added: “She’s a very friendly and affection dog and she absolutely loves people. Her carers adore her, she is such a great character and she laps up all the attention she gets.
“I think her loud bark is going to make it a bit of a challenge to re-home her, which is a shame as she is such a fantastic dog who would make a super pet in the right home.”
And for any owners worried about vet bills, a majority would be covered by the Dogs Trust for the rest of her life as part of the Shared Adoption Scheme.