A teacher brought his deaf dog to school. Students learned sign language to talk to him.
The lessons kids have learned from Cole are priceless.
Cole celebrated his 9th birthday with the students at Dr. Mennies School in New Jersey
When Cole was living in the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter as a 5-month-old puppy, he kept getting overlooked by potential adopters. The pitbull mix was deaf and was deemed "broken," with countless families passing him up before music teacher Chris Hannah discovered him, adopted him, and brought him home in 2017.
Hannah has a nephew who is deaf, and he soon realized that Cole was remarkably responsive to sign language and very good with kids. Hannah began bringing him to Dr. William Mennies School in Vineland, New Jersey, where Cole became a beloved fixture in the classroom. The Team Cole Project is now a unique social-emotional learning program that helps kids learn a key lesson: A disability is not an inability—it’s a superpower.
As a deaf dog who is part pitbull, a much-maligned breed, Cole serves as an ambassador for people and animals who might feel like they don't belong. By working with Cole, kids learn they can embrace their own and others' differences.
@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.
Cole accompanies students on the school bus, in the classroom, at school assemblies, and more. Kids have learned to communicate with him using sign language, and celebrated his 9th birthday with the students at Dr. Mennies School. Donning a crown, his superhero cape, and a "Birthday Boy" scarf, Cole was given the royal treatment as he was wheeled into the school auditorium in a decorated wagon. Students circled around him and sang the "Happy Birthday" song in sign language.
"He really does an incredible job of teaching our students about how to be different, be who they truly are, and that disability is not an inability," Hannah told ABC's David Muir.
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Cole was the ASPCA's Dog of the Year in 2023, and he serves in many roles in the community. Cole has become a beloved companion among the residents of the NJ Veterans Memorial Home, who unanimously petitioned to name him their Official Mascot. In August of 2020, the Team Cole Project held its first-ever “Kindness Tour” of care facilities across New Jersey to bring people joy and hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cole is also a hospice therapy dog with Angelic Health Palliative & Hospice Care and certified through Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs, INC, and he became the first dog to win the Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Teacher award.
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People responded to Cole's birthday party video with strong feelings about this special pup:
"The way, Cole, just lays down in the chair as the kids are singing to him. I'm in tears now. Everyday I, wish people had more empathy as this."
"He’s teaching those children more than he realizes. Many of the children that don’t have pets will learn how to nurture, love and treat animals with respect and hopefully adopt a dog of their own one day. And everytime a birthday comes around for the rest of their lives they will remember Cole and how they learned to sing Happy Birthday in sign language. Teacher of the decade!!!"
"This is my city. Cole visits all the schools around here. He has other rescues too. And he made them trading cards that he's given out to the kids lol my kids have a few. They love seeing Cole."
"It is a beautiful story. I’m an orchestra teacher and I had a blind and diabetic (considered special needs) rescue dog - who I adopted that way, who became a therapy dog in my school. I miss my boy everyday because he passed of cancer. My students loved him. Thanks Cole for spreading love and acceptance."