LANSING, Mich. — A 2-year-old boy in Michigan found his perfect match in a puppy sharing the same birth defect.
Bentley Boyers was born with a cleft lip that required surgery. His mother said it was a rough start and they even struggled 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 Ashley Boyers.
Bentley was a happy baby and grew quickly.
Then last week, Bentley's dad went to the Jackson County Animal Shelter to look at two chickens. While there, a puppy caught his eye and he immediately called home.
"He facetimed me. He goes I think this one has a cleft lip and I said, get her! We need her!" Ashley said.
Ashley felt the puppy would help 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 family took the puppy home for a bit to see how things worked, and on Friday they made the adoption official.
"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 Jackson County.
So at just two years and two months, Bentley and the puppy have found their perfect match.