clear the shelters

Deaf Senior Dog Found Wandering Texas Streets Finds New Home

Even though Marty is known for his “resting grouch face,” shelter staff said they think the little guy is thankful to have a place to call home

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Marty was by all accounts a bit of a lost cause. A police officer found the stray pup wandering the streets of Richardson, Texas, in the middle of the night.

“He was extremely matted, especially over his hind, face, chest and ears,” Mary Lovell with the animal services in Richardson said. “He had hair loss along his back and was infested with fleas. He had overgrown nails curling into his own feet.”

Lovell said the shelter scanned the dog for a microchip and discovered that not only did he have one, but he had been impounded previously, with warnings to get all of these problems fixed.

“We got in touch with the owner, who didn’t want the dog back. He said the dog was 16 years old and he’s had him since he was a puppy. The dog is completely deaf, and had known nothing but the yard he lived in his whole life, so he was reasonably timid in our care,” Lovell said.

The staff at the shelter shaved him down, got him a good bath and a fluffy bed and got Marty ready for his forever home.

“The staff dressed him in a cute little bandana and sweater to blast on our social media page. He caught the eye of a lovely woman who is passionate about adopting dogs just like him,” Lovell said.

The rest was history. Even though they said Marty is known for his “resting grouch face,” they know the little guy is thankful to have a place to call home.


Animal shelters across the country are once again teaming up with NBC and Telemundo stations to find loving homes for pets in need with the Clear The Shelters pet adoption and donation campaign.

The campaign runs from Aug. 23 through Sept.19, 2021. Visit cleartheshelters.com for more information.

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