Piglet, my deaf, blind puppy, has a message for you
A few years ago, my husband and I agreed to foster a tiny deaf and blind puppy until his rescue group could find a permanent placement for him. We already had six dogs and weren’t looking to add another. I figured it would be fun to care for the adorable pink baby dog, but my fantasy immediately turned into a nightmare. Piglet was an anxious screaming mess when he arrived.
Over the next few weeks, by holding and comforting him, teaching him tap signals to communicate and providing a consistent routine that he could count on, we helped our foster baby realize that he was safe and part of a family. He bonded with all of us, gained confidence, and his screaming subsided.
In the hopes of finding him his forever home, I posted adorable pictures and videos capturing Piglet’s integration into our household on his growing Facebook page, “Piglet, the deaf blind pink puppy.” His followers were enchanted by Piglet’s determination as he mapped his way around our house and yard and connected with his family and friends. It was heartwarming to watch our other rescued dogs accept and include Piglet when they played together, ate together and snuggled together. I made it two months before caving to the power of the tiny pink puppy. I apologized to my husband while making the executive decision that we would be Piglet’s forever family.
Within a few months, Piglet’s adorable pictures and videos had captured the attention of people from all over the world. They saw something more than a disabled dog running up our back stairs for a treat, finding his “Favorite Dad” for a cozy nap and doing group tricks with our other dogs. They recognized the intense will of a tiny dog who wasn’t meant to survive, let alone become an ambassador for other disabled animals and people and a symbol of resilience, inclusion and kindness.
Piglet’s positivity is tangible. He systematically learned to optimize his senses of smell and touch to keep track of what’s happening around him. He doesn’t miss a thing. He is diligent in maintaining close contact with his family, friends and dog pack, which is refreshing to observe. His efforts to connect are reciprocated by the people in his life as well as his social media followers, who fall in love with the little dog they only know through pictures and videos.
Tricia Fregeau, an innovative third-grade teacher in Massachusetts, recognized Piglet’s potential to inspire her students as part of her growth-mindset curriculum. The children fell in love with Piglet, and he became the class mascot. Ms. Fregeau coined the phrase “Piglet Mindset,” and we collaborated to create Piglet Mindset educational outreach, a free downloadable program for teachers to use in their social and emotional learning
classes. Two years later, we added Piglet’s Inclusion Pack, using the example set by our other very kind, gentle dogs to teach acceptance, inclusion, empathy and kindness. Piglet Mindset is housed on our website PigletMindset.org and is supported by our nonprofit organization Piglet International Inc. The program is used in schools across the world.
Everyone who hears about Piglet, sees a Piglet video or meets him in person wants to learn all about him. The impact Piglet has on children and adults of all ages and backgrounds makes him an extraordinary and disarming teaching model.
With Piglet’s profound disabilities, it might be natural to feel sorry for him. But his feisty determination to live a happy, full life is palpable. He uses what he has and lets nothing get in his way. And this is what his people find so motivating.
We think of Piglet as an intense, focused individual who happens to be deaf and blind. Piglet is the whole package. His positive Piglet Mindset truly inspires others to bring that same positivity into their own lives. His model is simple and highly effective across the board, from elementary school children doing difficult math problems together to executives preparing an important contract and from seniors with progressive mobility issues to cancer patients who are undergoing rigorous chemotherapy. We hear from people every day telling us how much Piglet means to them as they face their own daily challenges.