Cole the Deaf Dog takes his message of kindness on the road

VINELAND, N.J. (AP) - The love of Cole the Deaf Dog comes in one size fits all.

The therapy-certified pit bull is a cozy friend to cuddle at Mennies Elementary School, where his “dad” Chris Hannah is the music teacher.

Cole is companion to the Vineland Veterans Memorial Home residents, who tagged him their official mascot.

And for those in hospice care, he provides curled-at-your-side comfort.

“The whole message of the Team Cole Project is to try to spread awareness and kindness,” Hannah said, noting there’s a focus that inability is not a disability. The team also share their acts of kindness to inspire others to follow suit.

When COVID-19 restrictions closed schools and nursing homes, Team Cole got creative to maintain their relationships.

They turned to Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Veterans receive recorded personalized messages and students tune in to virtual visits each morning.

At bedtime, Hannah reads Cole a story and shares it with everyone on their Cole the Deaf Dog YouTube channel where it’s added to “Bedtime Stories with Cole” playlist.

Understanding students may feel anxious, Hannah reminds them they remain part of Team Cole

To offer some encouragement, the duo fired up the Cole Mobile last week for a field trip through the Mennies school sending area.

“I mapped out the neighborhoods, hopped in the truck and went for a test drive to see how we could make it work,” Hannah said.

Then, Hannah put out a “coming soon” alert to students.

“I thought we’d get a few waves,” Hannah said.

Before they hit the road, pictures started coming in of students waiting for their drive-by visit.

“They had signs on their front doors, they had signs on their mailbox, they had signs on telephone poles,” Hannah said

“Cole had his paws and his head out the window,” Hannah said. “It was so unbelievably touching that this dog is doing this for these children.”

Team Cole plans to regularly schedule tours while school remain closed.

“We just want to be there for the people who count on us,” Hannah said. “There are a lot of them.”

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