UK – After being abandoned by his owners, deaf dog Eddie is living at a shelter and hoping to learn sign language as he navigates this new chapter in his life.

Eddie was abandoned on a property in the UK by his previous owners.

Shortly thereafter, the six‑year‑old Bull Terrier mix was rescued by staff from the animal welfare charity RSPCA and the police.

He was then taken into the care of the charity, where a thorough examination revealed that Eddie is deaf.

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Kennel supervisor Tiffany Fowler told the BBC, "He'll sit if you hold a treat up above his head, so we think he'll pick up sign language well and enjoy training. We all chat away to him, and if he's looking at us, he'll wag his tail and get excited – it's like he can lip-read and knows we're speaking to him."

Even without his hearing, Eddie is doing well. The charity believes the dog was born deaf.

"We often forget that he's deaf," Fowler admitted.

"When we arrive in the mornings and go to say 'good morning' to all of the dogs, who are all barking and wagging their tails at their doors, Eddie is usually fast asleep, snoring in his bed," she added.

"He doesn't get stressed by the noise and the other dogs, and this can be tough for some dogs."

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To avoid startling Eddie, the staff instead quietly enter his pen and gently pet him to wake him and let him know they're there. This prevents him from jumping up in surprise.

The team now hopes to find Eddie a new home. His future owners should be prepared to teach him visual commands so he can continue training and adjust to his new life.

In a Facebook post, the shelter wrote: "He adores humans and has even taken up an interim role as reception dog/chief greeter at the centre, until he's successful in being given a permanent position for the role of king of your heart."