A 2-year-old Michigan boy with a birth defect has found his perfect match.
2-year-old Bentley Boyers bonded instantly with his new dog at a Jackson County animal shelter after learning they both have cleft palates.
Last week Bentley's dad Brandon came to the animal shelter to look at two chickens he was thinking to adopt when a puppy with a cleft lip caught his eye.
"He facetimed me. He goes I think this one has a cleft lip and I said, get her! We need her!" said Bentley's mom, Ashley Boyers.
Bentley was born with a cleft lip.
His mom said he had a tough start in life where it was a struggle to get him to eat.
"We had to sit him up and feed him and hold his lip together in order for him to eat - so it was a process," said Boyers.
Since day one, he's been a happy baby, and Ashley says his cleft lip doesn't make him any different.
The family feels finding the puppy will show Bentley he isn't alone.
"To see him have something in common with a puppy means a lot cause he can grow up and understand that him and his puppy both have something that they can share in common," Ashley said.
The animal shelter says they don't normally see puppies with cleft pallets.
Before her adoption they had her for a week and don't see that she will have any problems in the future.
"Her disability is really not holding her back and as she grows they'll be able to see more if there's anything changing that has to do with that, but she's really doing well. She might look a little different than a normal dog would but it's not slowing her down at all," said Lydia Sattler, Animal Services Director for Jackson County.
