Rescue Pink Dachshund Puppy Named Piglet Is Blind And Deaf

Oct 06, 2019 by apost team

A pink dachshund is melting hearts worldwide.

Born in an animal shelter in Connecticut, Piglet faced insurmountable odds from the very beginning. He was both deaf and blind, and his birth weight wasn't even a full pound.

He was also born with a "double dapple," a rare genetic condition that resulted in pink-white fur. Both of his parents were dappled, light-colored dogs, and Piglet inherited the hue from each side of the family.

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The end result was an adorable but anxious puppy. He couldn't see or hear, and he was living in a crowded shelter with dozens of other dogs. This was why veterinarian Melissa Shapiro decided to take him home.

"From the day we met Piglet," she wrote on Instagram, "despite his limitations, he had an intense connection to everyone and everything he touched."

With the help of a loving owner, Piglet started to come out of his shell. He revealed a funny, feisty personality, and he didn't let his disabilities stop him from learning new things or getting into mischief.

He even became a social media star with his own Instagram account. More than 100,000 people follow his everyday adventures!

Over time, schools and nonprofits started reaching out to Piglet, and Melissa realized that his story could be a motivational one. She began to take him to classrooms, fundraisers and disability events so that kids could learn valuable lessons about overcoming adversity.

One teacher even coined the term "Piglet Mindset" to describe facing challenges and staying positive despite your setbacks.

"Piglet was so inspiring to the children that they decided as a class to use Piglet as their growth mindset role model," Melissa explained when talking to Pretty52.

"and [they] face each day in a 'Piglet State of Mind' to grow as students and individuals."

Today, "Piglet Packs" are distributed to a number of K-12 schools. He's becoming something of a role model in educational materials about diversity and adversity. He's also a familiar face for animal advocacy groups; people use him as an example of why shelters need more funding and less crowding.

Despite his fame, however, Piglet remains the same sweet little dog that Melissa brought home all those months ago.

"Who could have imagined the potential of this tiny pink baby?" she asked.

What do you think, readers? Are you touched by Piglet's story? Do you think children everywhere could learn something from a Piglet mindset? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family.