Bucs get inspired to hope, be accepted
PROSPECT PARK » The one thing all people want is to be loved and accepted, and that extends to animals, too.
Author Connie Bombaci drove that message home during a special presentation at Interboro High School Friday morning with her dog, Judea, a deaf Dalmatian she adopted. Bombaci spoke to about 20 students of the district’s LifeSkills program to show that being different by any stretch of the word doesn’t mean you should be liked any less.
“We are unique in our own ways,” Bombaci told students, whether it be how social someone is, or how athletic they are, demonstrating her point with stories about raising deaf dogs.
Her advocacy for animals began in 1993 when she was introduced to Hogan, an 18-month-old deaf, abused Dalmatian.
“All Hogan wanted to do was be accepted,” Bombaci said. “He didn’t know he was deaf, that was his world. He wanted to be loved, to come out of that horrific situation where he was beaten and starved out in the Northeast winter.”
Knowing of his disability, Bombaci, and her husband, Jim, taught Hogan American Sign Language, teaching him as many as 70 words. Hogan was featured on “Dateline,” “Good Morning America” and other media outlets and pushed the Bombaci to international audiences. She published a book last year called “Hogan’s Hope” that documents her journey with him and creating that loving environment he needed.
At present, she now has Judea, her third deaf dog who serves as a service dog to Bombaci as well. She, too, has been taught words in American Sign Language.
Students were taught simple signing words like sit and kiss, and how to make the letter J to address Judea. They were amazed at not just her cuteness, but her ability to complete tasks even while being deaf.
By seeing video clips of Hogan and Judea’s skills in person, Bombaci was showing that because people don’t all possess the same skills, we should still all aspire to have hope to be the person we want to be.
“I see too many people not having the hope of being able to do, to be, to achieve or feel what they’re longing for,” she said. “We all need to be reminded to accept each other, and this particular group of students has an uphill climb. I want it in their hearts to remember that they’re very worthy of being loved and accepted.”