It’s not every day that you can adopt a dog who comes with a grant to help train her.

But then, not every dog is deaf.

Foothills Animal Shelter is looking for a special home for Red, a 2-year-old Australian cattle dog mix, who arrived at the Foothills Animal Shelter in early January, and was almost immediately adopted.

Shelter personnel didn’t realize that the dog was deaf, and neither did her adoptive family.

Her new owners noticed that she didn’t respond to noise when sleeping and was startled by their touch when they woke her.

The family returned her to the shelter within four days of her adoption.

“She is extremely sweet,” Foothills spokeswoman Jessi Burns said of the dog. “All she wants to do is cuddle in your lap, she has a really wonderful personality all around.”

A not-for-profit, Colorado-based Wags and Menace Make a Difference Foundation, which works with international rescue organizations to help fund life saving emergency medical care for orphaned and endangered wildlife, is offering a grant to whomever adopts the dog.

The $1,000 grant will be used to hire a trainer to teach basic commands like stay, sit, come, said Burns. More advanced signals, such as an order to fetch an item in a different room, might also be taught.

The training,” Burns said, “reinforces the bond between her and her new family because they will all be learning together.”

Deaf dogs usually are put down, said Cindy Lee, president of Wags and Menace.

“This was a dog that came in from Kansas, unbeknown she was deaf,” Lee said. “It’s amazing that she even got over the state line.”

Red will need an owner with the patience needed to train her, who uses positive reinforcement to assure she understands commands given in sign language.

“Without this schooling she really wouldn’t stand a chance,” Lee said. “I’m hoping the grant will ignite the right candidate to come forward and be the right mom, the right family.”

Her trainer will have to have certification in teaching signals to a deaf animal, Lee said.

The shelter will reach out to trainers to determine which ones are best qualified to teach Red, and her owner.