How Insta-Dog Cole Uses His Superpower to Spread YOU MATTER
Meet Cole. His owner Chris believes that a disability is not an inability, it’s a superpower. Cole’s superpower is that he is Deaf, giving him a keen ability to respond to sign language and a seemingly endless capacity to show tenderness and love as a therapy dog to students, adults and Veterans in his New Jersey hometown.
After encountering a fellow therapy dog wearing our YOU MATTER patch, Chris felt drawn to the message and began helping spread the word. Hear from Chris who shares more about Cole’s inspiring story and how YOU MATTER impacts everyone they encounter.
Tell us more about how you and Cole came to be!
In March of 2017 I was ready to adopt my first rescue dog and visited my local shelter’s website. The first puppy that was listed was a little Pitbull/American Bulldog mix named Harry Potter.
As I clicked further on his bio, the words “Special Needs” were listed on his information. It turns out the little guy was born deaf, which is exactly why I wanted him. I have a nephew who was born deaf and I knew this was the absolute perfect connection. We met, we fell in love, and the journey began!
How did you first hear about Boot Campaign?
We first heard about Boot Campaign at the American Humane Hero Dog Awards. Bobby Klepper,a Boot Campaign Health & Wellness Program graduate, and his service dog, Recon, became very fast friends of ours. Recon was wearing his “YOU MATTER’ patch on his vest and it immediately resonated with us and our mission. Bobby and I sparked up hours of conversation of just how important those words can be.
Why is supporting the Veteran and military community important to you?
Supporting our Veteran community has always been a very important part of my life and my career as an educator. When Cole received his therapy certification, the first place we began volunteering was the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home.
We fell in love with helping our aging Veterans in our own special way. The 300 residents petitioned the State of New Jersey Veterans Affairs to make Cole their official mascot, which was an incredible accomplishment in our journey. Seven years later, we still visit weekly, on every holiday, and every special event we can attend.
Cole the Deaf Dog & Friends has volunteered over 1,000 hours, and my wife and I even had our wedding at the Veterans Home. The residents were our Bridesmaids and Groomsmen. What an incredible day!
Why does the message of YOU MATTER resonate with you?
YOU MATTER resonates because it reaffirms the importance of everyone we meet. Reading the two words aloud is all it takes for someone to realize their importance. When they hear themselves speak it to truth, it can make all the difference.
How have you seen/heard it resonate with students or others that you and Cole come in contact with?
Cole is our school therapy dog and a literal lifeline for so many of our students. Together we work in a very low income area, where a lot of students live hard lives. We put a sign outside my classroom door that says “You Matter” and Cole often stands beside the sign as a reminder to the students, and even staff. So many individuals suffer in silence, but we can help them in our own way.
What inspires you to continue to be a light of positivity in your school and within the social media community?
Our world can be full of so much negativity. I want our Veteran community, our school friends and their families, and our communities to see that there is a positive light in the world. Cole has a magical way of breaking through barriers of emotions for the young and old, so if we can be a spark of love, it’s all worth it.
Join Cole and Chris in spreading Boot Campaign’s YOU MATTER message by visiting bootcampaign.org/youmatter.
Love Cole’s YOU MATTER bandana? Get one for your four-legged friends here!
