By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — What can a tiny, deaf, blind, pink puppy teach a Westport family – and the world? A lot, it turns out. 

Piglet, once a rescue pup being fostered in the home of Westport veterinarian Melissa Shapiro, is now a social media star and the subject of a new book that she wrote, “PIGLET: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family.” He has also become “a poster puppy” for how to treat the disabled with respect and compassion.

Shapiro is the owner of Visiting Vet Service in Westport, which provides in-home care for pets. She held a virtual book launch for “PIGLET” on Tuesday, sponsored by the Westport Library, and told the story of how Piglet came into her life.

The Shapiro family was intending to temporarily foster Piglet, a rescue dog from Georgia, and find him “a forever home” – not theirs. But the tiny dachshund-chihuahua mix was so disabled by his deafness and blindness that he couldn’t do things that dogs normally do, like find his way to his food, or to a spot to relieve himself, or even play in the yard. 

“He can’t chase a ball outside, he can’t bring a ball back. He can’t find us if the wind is blowing because he relies on his nose,” Shapiro said. 

Dogs usually rely on the body language of their owners for behavioral cues and guidance, but Piglet cannot see body language. He can’t tell if a car is coming or a hawk is circling above him, serious safety issues for a dog, she added. In fact, Piglet spent a lot of time screaming and shrieking his first few months in the Shapiro home because of anxiety over his new environs. It was his only way of communicating that his new home was stressful for him.

Some of Shapiro’s three children felt that Piglet’s care was too much trouble for their mother, who sometimes found it difficult working and keeping Piglet safe at the same time, the vet reported. And the Westport family already had six other dogs, and several birds.

But as they modified their own routines to accommodate Piglet, Shapiro fell in love with the pup, who became sweet, happy and friendly. He now can sense his human owners’ moods by how he is held, and they use “tap signals” to communicate with him. 

“I wasn’t going to keep him, and then I was,” Shapiro said. “Finding an individual [pet] and accepting what they will bring into your house is quite a rewarding process, and it’s fun in the end.”

Through the process of meeting the extreme needs of the disabled dog, the family learned that working with the disabled, whether they be canine, feline or human, can impart important lessons. These are lessons that Shapiro now shares with schools and others through the Piglet Mindset website and educational materials. She visits classrooms in the area with Piglet, distributing educational materials about acceptance, and showing children a demonstration of how she uses tap signals with Piglet.

“Face challenges with a positive attitude, show empathy and compassion, and always be kind and considerate to all,” are among the tenets of Piglet Mindset, Shapiro told her virtual audience at Tuesday evening’s library event.

The veterinarian also offered tips to anyone considering bringing disabled dogs or any new pets into their homes:

• Don’t make a list of what your pet should be before finding one. First, find the animal that attracts you.
• Examine your home and your lifestyle. Learn about the potential new pet and think about how you can manage it.
• Understand that not every pet is the right match for every environment.
• Everyone needs to be honest and realistic. When it’s not working at some point, you need to cut your losses and say, “If this is the wrong match, let’s find the right match.” 

The virtual talk was moderated by Christina Hunger, a speech psychologist and the author of the book, “How Stella Learned To Talk.” In it, she recounts how she has trained her dog, Stella, to communicate with words through an assistive device. Shapiro’s story of Piglet and the worldwide audience of Piglet Mindset “could only lead to a more compassionate and understanding world,” Hunger said.

For more information on the book, “PIGLET: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family,” or about Piglet Mindset, visit: pigletthedog.com; pigletmindset.org or the Piglet Facebook page.