Deaf and blind dogs rescued from kennels find loving home together at last

 Australian shepherds, Little Buddy and Aster Rose, were both bred by irresponsible breeders and born with disabilities, but Krysten Harper, 30, from Alabama, US, saw past their differences and fell in love with them.

Irresponsible breeding is a major issue in the dog world, and it can have a negative impact on the health of puppies.

Little Buddy and Aster Rose, two adorable puppies who were born deaf and blind, know all about it.

When two merle breeds are bred together, the litter has a 25% chance of being disabled, and the couple were both disabled.

Despite their appearance as twins, neither pup is related and did not meet until two months ago.

With a little help from adopter Krysten Harper, 30, from Alabama, US, fate brought them together, and the two are now inseparable.

“I wouldn’t change a single thing about them,” Krysten told The Mirror.

Krysten met Little Buddy, a miniature Australian shepherd, at a rescue center three years ago and fell in love with him.

He’d been in the kennels for two years, and after sitting in the same spot for so long, he’d developed arthritis in his back legs.

Krysten took him home and learned how to navigate life with a disabled dog for the first time.

“He’d wake up in the middle of the night crying, and he only slept in corners or under chairs.” She described him as “a little ball of anxiety.”

“He was terrified of shadows and refused to leave the house once the sun had set.”

He was, however, the sweetest young man I’d ever met. “We have the same soul.”

Having a deaf dog didn’t stop Krysten from wanting another, and she brought home Aster Rose, a three-month-old Australian shepherd, two months ago.

“Aster is a self-assured young lady who enjoys meeting new people and dogs. “She assumes that everyone, whether human or animal, is just looking for a new friend,” Krysten explained.

“Just because she can’t see doesn’t mean she can’t find the brightest spot in the yard and stick her snoot in the air to feel the warmth.”

The couple enjoys life to the fullest, but navigating a world without eyes or ears has its challenges.

“It’s something that seems so simple, but for a tiny blind and deaf puppy, stairs present a huge obstacle,” Krysten says of teaching Aster how to get upstairs.

“The biggest difference is how I communicate with them,” she continued. We use touch signals to communicate, so a tap on the lower back means’sit,' and a hand on the chest means’stay.'”

Krysten posts photos of the pair on Instagram and is dedicated to raising awareness about irresponsible breeding and disabled dogs.

“Several people have commented that Aster appears sick and sad, but she is the polar opposite of a sad puppy,” she explained.

“Aster is so happy and full of life that anyone who meets her falls in love with her right away.”

Dogs who are blind or deaf can live extraordinary lives, and feeling sorry for them only serves to perpetuate the myth that they are “less than.”

Little Buddy’s rescuer made Krysten promise not to treat him any differently when she first adopted him.

“She said to me, ‘This is his normal,'” Krysten explained. Because this is all he’s ever known, he’s as happy as any other dog here. Feeling sorry for him doesn’t help anyone, and you two have the opportunity to help other blind and deaf dogs who are still looking for homes.’ “That’s what we try to do every day, and that’s the purpose of our page.”

You can follow Little Buddy and Aster on Instagram to stay up to date.