Boy, 2, With Cleft Lip Adopts Adorable Rescue Puppy With Matching Condition

Sep 09, 2020 by apost team

It is often said that children are capable of great compassion and have kind hearts. This is exemplified in a lot of ways, from their innate sense of seeing everything in the world as good, to wanting to buy gifts for their families.

One toddler has had a cleft lip ever since he was born. Two-year-old Bentley Boyers from Michigan was born with the condition and embraced it fully. When his parents decided to take him along for a visit to the local animal rescue shelter, they came across a puppy with the same condition as him.

Bentley was immediately drawn to this puppy, named Lacey, and believed that they were made for each other. According to Express & Star, the family had originally planned to adopt a few rescue chickens, but once they saw how attached Bentley became to the puppy, they adopted her too.

Bentley's mother, Ashley, told WDIV Local 4 that the connection formed solely due to the similarity of their facial conditions. Bentley felt that he and the puppy were kindred spirits, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Their conditions make them unique among the rest of us.

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Ashley was informed of the puppy after Bentley's father called her. She agreed with his decision to adopt the puppy and it soon became part of the family. She states that seeing Bentley so happy means a lot to the family.

The pair will be able to grow together and share a unique bond. Footage from the adoption shows Bentley playing with his new puppy as the new addition to the family is equally captivated by his owner's presence.

Cleft lips are a type of facial disfigurement that occurs in the womb. When the baby's mouth fails to form properly, it results in a cleft. This usually shows an opening in the upper lip. While this condition can create difficulties in a child's daily life, such as during eating or brushing his/her teeth, it can be fixed with corrective surgery.

Bentley has had the procedure done and is now living happily with his unique condition. His new puppy has not had her cleft lip corrected, however, the veterinarian claims that her condition will not impact her quality of life in any way.

Bentley is lucky enough to not have his condition impact any other areas of his development. In severe cases, a cleft lip can impact one's ability to speak coherently and may even require speech therapy. This may also make an individual more prone to gum disease and excessive bacteria in the mouth.

Having corrective surgery can certainly decrease the number of problems that may develop as a result of having a cleft lip, but it is still best to take further steps to prevent such issues. A cleft lip in animals can be detrimental, but animals are more resilient than humans. This means that they will be able to live with certain conditions that humans typically cannot.

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