Deaf Shelter Dog Gets Adopted Thanks To Viral Photo

A seemingly pitiful pit bull is now living her best life with a loving forever family thanks to a special photograph.

Betsy, a deaf pittie, landed in an animal shelter after being thrown out of a car along with a small dog. She was then hit by a different car. A “Good Samaritan” brought Betsy to Humane Society of Tampa Bay, where the intake staff snapped a quick photo of the deaf dog for identification purposes while getting her to veterinary care.

The Florida shelter takes in over 10,000 animals each year, so the photo happens quickly, according to Regan Blessinger, marketing and content manager for the nonprofit.

“When they first come in during the intake process, they’re getting shots and checked out, and it’s a lot. So the pictures that the intake staff get, that’s really just like an ID card,” she says. “So unfortunately, sometimes the pictures don’t show their personality because either they’re stressed because they just got here, or there’s just a lot happening: smells, sounds, lots of people.”

That was certainly the case with Betsy, who looks dejected in her intake photo, with her head lowered and ears askance. Though she proved so calm around other dogs that she was used as the greeter dog to help them feel more comfortable, the friendly dog spent the next 73 days in the shelter.

So on March 26, 2024, professional pet photographer Adam Goldberg held a photo session with Betsy to try to show her “in a different light.” Though he couldn’t make silly sounds or squeak toys to get her attention, she smelled the tantalizing treats his assistant offered, and her personality blossomed before his eyes.

With her white fur and striking eyes — one brown and one blue — he captured Betsy as her true self: a beautiful, smiling dog.

“That initial photo of her looking defeated with the leash up in the air, it’s just a terrible picture. You can’t picture that dog in your home,” he says. “But then you look at her second photo, and it changes the mindset. You could potentially adopt this dog.”

That’s exactly what happened. Goldberg shared Betsy’s before-and-after photos on social media — as well as the fact that she was deaf and kept being overlooked at the shelter — and they went viral.

Betsy Finds A Family

The next day, Christian Pesantes was at work when his fiancé, Michelle Robles-Aponte, texted him about Betsy. She’d seen Goldberg’s post on Facebook and thought they should go meet her.

“We were not actively seeking a dog,” he recalls. “We had a 2-year-old son and thought we’d wait until he was a little older. But she said, ‘We’ve got to look at this dog.’”

The couple lives about an hour west of Tampa, but he dropped everything to drive to meet Betsy. He wanted to learn more about the shelter dog, like whether she’d get along with their three cats.

“As soon as I saw her, I was like, ‘OK, that’s it. We’ve got to get her.’ I stood in front of her kennel waiting for an employee to come by because I didn’t want anybody else to grab her,” he says.

He took Betsy home, and two days into a two-week trial to introduce the pets, they decided to permanently adopt the shelter dog because she was so gentle and patient with their toddler, Voltaire, and loved their cats. The family renamed her Ghost because of her brilliant fur.

“When she gets wet, you can see she’s all spotted. She’s almost like a secret Dalmatian,” he says. “Not only is she absolutely beautiful, but she’s just a compassionate, very intelligent dog.”

To wit: Robles-Aponte is fluent in American Sign Language and easily taught the deaf dog numerous signs, from “sit” and “bathroom” to “dance.”

“We have a sign for ‘dance’ where she’ll jump up and put her paws on you. She’ll put her face against your face and you can do a little two-step dance with her,” Pesantes says. “She’s just incredible.”

He’s dismayed that so many people didn’t consider adopting such a wonderful companion just because she is deaf. In fact, he feels adopting a deaf dog offers advantages. For instance, the Fourth of July was “a piece of cake” since she can’t hear the boom of fireworks that frightens so many dogs.

He did have to adjust to not being able to call her name to get her attention. Now when they’re out and about, she frequently glances at the family to check in, so then he can sign “come” or offer other direction if need be.

As the one-year adoption anniversary approaches, the family is planning fun activities for Ghost, from playtime in a dog-friendly pool to a special gotcha day cake.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better dog,” Pesantes says. “I was kind of nervous adopting an adult dog for the first time, but she turned out to be everything we wanted and more. She’s perfect with our family.”

He’s also immensely grateful to Goldberg for making and sharing the photo of his beloved dog while she was being overlooked at the shelter.

“I’m grateful that he does what he does, because otherwise we never would’ve found her,” he says.

Helping Other Shelter Pets Get A Second Shot

Ghost is one of over 600 dogs Goldberg photographs each year at Humane Society of Tampa Bay as part of his “Second Shot” program. With financial backing from sponsors, the co-owner of AGoldPhoto Pet Photography works with volunteers to host photography sessions at the shelter to give shelter pets a better shot at adoption.

“With sponsors, I’m able to do about 10 to 15 animals a week instead of 10 to 15 a month,” he says.

Videos of his before-and-after photos and shoots with shelter pets – including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and occasionally reptiles – inspired shelters from around the world to ask him for help and advice. So he recently started offering a free online course called Adoptable Animal Studio Photography.

“Around 500 people have signed up to watch it, so I’m glad that it’s able to help – and then more pets are able to get these photos to help them get adopted,” he says. “I find so much pride and joy and fulfillment doing this.”

Naturally, his help is deeply appreciated by adopters as well as the shelter staff. Blessinger credits him with helping make shelter pets feel comfortable and capturing their personalities.

She notes that with the economy in turmoil, shelters across America are overflowing with adoptable animals — because people have to give up their pets for financial challenges and because fewer people are adopting pets due to the expense involved in caring for them. (For people who can’t adopt, she adds that shelters can always use fosters, volunteers and monetary donations.)

So when a dog like Ghost — formerly Betsy — gets adopted thanks to a photo, it delights the shelter’s team.

“Obviously we see a lot of tough things, but we also see a lot of really, really good things,” she says. “And that’s one of them.”

Click here to register for Adam Goldberg’s free online class.