At school, Cole’s message is simple: it is OK to be different.
Cole, a deaf pitbull adopted by public school music teacher Chris Hannah, quickly became a symbol of support for disabled children. Hannah was amazed by Cole’s ability to respond to sign language and quickly trained him as a certified therapy dog.
Now Cole comes to school with that message, and every day the white dog sits on his bed next to a sign that reads: “Can I please have a hug?” Students are eager to oblige.
For his birthday last year, students learned how to sign the Happy Birthday song in American Sign Language so they could throw him a party and learn something new at the same time.
Cole and Hannah, along with Hannah’s deaf nephew, have also launched a social-emotional learning program at their South Jersey school. A statement on Cole’s website says: “Their program helps students reflect on their personal feelings of ‘brokenness’ in a new and self-empowering way and leaves an impression of acceptance and compassion that youth can take with them for years to come.”
The program has expanded over the years, with visits to other schools in the region.
“We want kids to realize what makes you different is what makes you unique and what makes you special and everybody belongs,” Hannah told CBS News. “We have a team of four dogs now. Three were born deaf and one was born deaf and blind. And they’re all certified therapy dogs that work with Cole.”
During the summers, Cole also works as a quasi-counselor at a camp for kids with disabilities. He performs tricks by interpreting sign language and, because he does not get too overwhelmed by noises, patiently accepts pets and greetings from the children.
In 2023, Cole won the ASPCA’s National Dog of the Year title for his work with youth and as a therapy dog in area hospice care centers.
“Sometimes, with my students, I’m just trying to do my regular job on a daily basis, and I’m just watching the way these kids are connecting with him,” Hannah said in a video after Cole won the title. “Cole is life to so many of these kids.”
In a TikTok caption, Hannah added: “Living this life of disability awareness through the eyes of a deaf Pitbull is a dream come true.”
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