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Deaf dog from Mexico finds potential new owner in Bay Area who shares a common bond
A dog found on the streets of Mexico may have a new home here in the Bay Area. A woman who rescued "Max" said it was hard to find him a suitable home because the one-year-old dog has a disability. She received help from one community.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A dog found on the streets of Mexico may have a new home here in the Bay Area.
A woman who rescued "Max" said it was hard to find him a suitable home because the 1-year-old dog has a disability: He is deaf.
He was rescued from the streets of Mexico last October according to Tamara Corbitt, the founder of Hotel Baja California for Dogs A.C.
She said she had looking for a forever home for months.
"Because he's deaf, he's difficult to adopt out," said Corbitt. "It's a challenge because people don't know what it takes train a deaf dog."
But the hope is that this first meeting at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland on Thursday with Domingo Gaitan – a potential dog dad who is also deaf – will be a match.
Man and dog share something in common.
"I feel like this is a match. He's like me. He's deaf. And he's in my world," Gaitan said with the help of a sign language interpreter.
He said he's raised two other deaf dogs
"My two are gone. And now, to have a deaf dog back in my life, it's very exciting," he said.
Gaitan said he was born deaf just like his new best friend. It just may be love at first sight.
"So cute. He's very excited," said Gaitan. .
Corbitt said she got Max as a six-week-old puppy from a girl at a flea market in Mexico.
He had fleas and ticks. He suffered from a calcium deficiency.
Corbitt said after treating his problems, she posted on social media.
"It says nobody wants me because I'm deaf. And that caught my eye," Mary Grace Basco said. She's a special education teach who works with the deaf and the hearing impaired.
She connected Corbitt and Max with the deaf community to find a match.
"I knew there would be families that would not regard Max's deafness as a disability," said Basco.
Gaitan said he's looking forward to bonding with Max.
"I'm ready to teach him sign language," he said.
Corbitt said with all her adoptions, a new dog parent has one week to see if it's a match. If it's not, she will take Max back to Mexico and try again next month.
Anyone who wishes to contact her including adoption information, email her at Tamara.Corbitt@yahoo.com
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU.