When a young father went to the local animal shelter to look at chickens, the last thing he was expecting to come home with was a puppy. But when he saw a black-and-white pup with a cʟᴇꜰᴛ lip just like his son’s, he knew the sweet dog would make a perfect addition to the family.
The puppy and toddler were brought together by Bentley’s father, Brandon. He had made a trip to the Jackson County Animal Shelter to look for chickens when he noticed the little pup. As Bentley’s mother, Ashley, shared with WILX, Brandon quickly Facetimed her to say that he’d seen a puppy with a cʟᴇꜰᴛ pᴀʟᴀᴛᴇ. It was Ashley who then insisted that Brandon inquire about adoption.
As she explained, “To see him have something in common with a puppy means a lot ‘cause he can grow up and understand that he and his puppy both have something that they can share in common.”
Bentley Boyers from Jackson, Michigan, has a new best friend. The two-year-old boy has recently adopted a puppy! While this may not seem like anything out of the ordinary, this friendship is extra special because they both share the same exact condition: both were born with a cʟᴇꜰᴛ pᴀʟᴀᴛᴇ.
Even though Bentley is only two, he has already undergone two operations in order to try to fix his condition. Even though the young child is facing the ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs associated with his condition, he’s still a pretty optimistic boy – and things just got that much sweeter with a new buddy that is just like him!
“I said, ‘I want her for the sake of Bentley,'” mom Ashley Boyers told “Good Morning America.” “They’re the best of friends. If Bentley is playing on the playground she’s next to the slide waiting for him to come down. They do everything together.”
Common condition or not, there was no denying that Bentley was beside himself with joy at having a brand-new puppy! The heartwarming meeting was captured in a series of pictures by the Jackson County Animal Shelter.
They shared the tender photos to the Facebook page in a post that stated,
“Introducing Bentley and his new puppy. At two years old and with surgeries already under his belt for his cleft lip, Bentley found his match today in this tiny pup who also had a cleft lip.”
“When Bentley came in to meet the puppy, we had tears in our eyes,” said Lydia Sattler, animal services director of Jackson County Animal Shelter. “He was loving her and she was just eating it up. They were a perfect match for many reasons.”
And just like her new bestie, the little puppy seems completely unfazed by her cleft lip. She further noted that the puppy’s health wouldn’t be adversely affected in any way by her cleft palate.
Sattler said, “She might look a little different than a normal dog would, but it’s not slowing her down at all.”