Happy Tears as School Kids Throw the Sweetest Birthday Surprise for Deaf Therapy Dog
At Dr. William Mennies Elementary School in New Jersey, there’s a special dog whom the students adore to bits: Cole, a deaf rescue Pitbull Mix.
Cole’s owner is the school’s music teacher, Mr Christopher Hannah. For the last several years, Cole has been working as the students’ therapy dog alongside his owner. Christopher began bringing Cole to the school with the aim of teaching his students life-changing lessons about disability, using his furry friend as an example. Christopher didn’t just want his students to bond with Cole; he also wanted them to learn and understand that it’s okay to be different. (Watch Video Below)
Over the years, Cole, who was born deaf, has become such a cherished part of the school family that students can’t imagine not having him around. So whenever they get a chance to celebrate him, they always make sure to go all out for him. This is exactly what they did during Cole’s recent 9th birthday.
@abcworldnews At Dr. William Mennies Elementary School in Vineland, #NJ, students got a remarkable lesson from their #teacher and his deaf rescue #dog, Cole — learning sign language to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the beloved pup. #DavidMuir reports. #AmericaStrong. ♬ original sound – ABC World News Tonight
As Cole’s birthday was approaching, Christopher came up with a thoughtful idea: to teach his students how to sign the “happy birthday” song. Since he and Cole normally communicate using sign language, Christopher knew there wasn’t a better way to honor his beloved pup than this. A heartwarming TikTok video showing the young students celebrating Cole in sign language is melting hearts online, and it’s honestly impossible to watch without tearing up.
A Special Song for a Special Dog
The video, posted by @abcworldnews, captures Cole being wheeled into the school auditorium in a decorated carriage as the excited students cheer his arrival. It’s hard to ignore how charming he looks with the colorful birthday crown resting on his head. The students then gather around him and begin singing happy birthday out loud while signing the song simultaneously. Seeing their hands move in rhythm with the birthday song just shows how much effort they put into practicing these signs for Cole’s sake.
Even though sweet Cole can’t hear a word, the relaxed look on his face as he watches the students do their thing says everything: he can feel the love in the signed birthday song. After the heartfelt performance, the students carried on with the rest of the birthday festivities, including giving Cole unlimited pets.
Anyone watching can tell that Cole means everything to these students. At the end of the celebration, Cole felt deeply loved, not because the students had signed a simple birthday song, but because they had connected with him in a way that truly made sense in his deaf world.
Cole Changing Lives
Since he began working as a therapy dog, Cole has transformed the lives of countless students. Besides improving the students’ emotional well-being with his constant calming presence, Cole is a daily source of inspiration to everyone around him.
“He really does an incredible job teaching our students about how to be different, be who they truly are, and that a disability is not an inability,” Christopher told ABC News.
