Stephen's Untold Stories

There was a great story today in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a disabled man and his deaf dog, with whom he communicates by sign langauge.

One of them weighs 195 pounds, walks on four legs and can’t hear. The other has only one hand and communicates with sign language. And whenever they go to Piedmont Park, they draw a crowd.

Jeremy Coty and his dog Connor can be found three or four days a week at the Piedmont Dog Park, along with Coty’s other two dogs. And everyone in the off-leash area seems to gravitate to the outgoing guy and his enormous dog. We’re talking really big. On his hind legs, Connor stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall.

Connor is deaf and responds to about 10 signed words and commands. When he’s a good boy, Coty rubs his chest or claps. When Coty wants the dog’s attention, he shapes his hand like a “C” for “Connor.” When Connor gets too aggressive in a game of tug of war, Coty shakes two fingers back and forth and Connor backs away.

Coty and Connor share a special bond because they have a couple things in common. For one, Coty joked, they’re both Aries. For another, they both have a disability.

Coty, 36, was born with a defect that left him with what he calls a “little arm” that has no fingers.

As for Connor, “if he was born with his hearing, he likely lost it during the first week of his life, so he doesn’t have recollection of it,” Coty said. “I’m the same.

“I’ve always gravitated toward people and animals who don’t fit the mold of what we view as ‘normal,’” he said.

Link to article