Toddler Born With No Feet Gets A Dog Born Without A Paw: 'That's My Puppy, He's Just Like Me'

Jul 14, 2020 by apost team

Sapphyre Johnson suffers from a congenital condition that left her with only two fingers on each hand and one toe on each foot at birth. Doctors amputated her feet not long after birth to give her the chance to walk with prosthetics when she grew older.

A frequent visitor to Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, Sapphyre interacted with therapy dogs on many occasions. No one knew that it would lead to finding a dog that perfectly fit Sapphyre’s fantastic personality!

Lt. Dan, named for the Forrest Gump character, is a white german shepherd puppy born without a paw. Someone contacted the hospital about the puppy, explaining that they wanted to give it to a child with similar problems.

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A hospital therapist, who saw Sapphyre interact playfully with therapy dogs, put the Sapphyre’s family in touch with the dog's potential donor. They emailed back and forth to gauge interest. Human Kind reports that when Ashley first showed Sapphyre a picture of the Lt. Dan, she exclaimed, “That’s my puppy. He’s just like me!”

It was love at first sight. Sapphyre and Lt. Dan now look as if they never spent any time apart. The girl without feet and the dog without a paw bonded instantly. Sapphyre removes her prosthetics to show Lt. Dan her feet. In return, Lt. Dan will show Sapphyre his paw.

The video shows the playful interaction between the dog and Sapphyre. Both show genuine excitement at being with each other.

Ashley hopes that Sapphyre will learn from Lt. Dan’s disability. She hopes that it will help Sapphyre understand that all animals have differences but that they do not need to hold anyone back. She hopes that this motivates Sapphyre to overcome her disabilities.

We hope you enjoyed experiencing the heartwarming story of Sapphyre and Lt. Dan. Let us know what you think in the comments to this article. Make sure all of your friends know about the match made in heaven between Lt. Dan and Sapphyre so that they can see the magic life sometimes creates!