Did you know that of the millions of dogs that are born each year, only about 10% of them will find homes?
The rest of these animals will end up living on the streets, or in animal shelters waiting to either be rescued or euthanized.
One of these dogs was 1.5-year-old Harvey, a slightly goofy looking husky.
Harvey was believed to have been bitten as a puppy which led to his slight facial deformity.
He healed up well, though, and was left with nothing more than a slightly lopsided look about him.
Harvey was in a shelter in San Diego, California, when a picture of him was posted online saying he was looking for his forever home.
Luckily for him, that was all the Lankston family needed to see to know that he was meant for them.
The mother and her two sons are based in Seattle, Washington, but they made a 2,600-mile road trip to meet the pup.
The west coast road trip took the family six days, but it was worth it when they got to meet Harvey.
He immediately clicked with the family, including their other dog, River.
After Sherry and her sons met Harvey, they knew he would be coming home with them, but there was still one more member of the family who needed to meet him.
Sherry’s husband, who was working while the family took their drive, flew down to San Diego to meet the pup.
As soon as the man went in and sat down, Harvey went right over to him and leaned against the man’s legs.
The two quickly made friends, and soon it was time to sign the paperwork and make the long drive back home.
Joy Ollinger, an officer at the San Diego County Department of Animal Services, and the woman who posted Harvey’s photo online had mixed emotions about seeing him go.
Harvey had been at the center ever since he had been found in the desert as a puppy, and Joy had grown very attached to him.
He would often sit with her in her office as she worked, occasionally putting his paw up onto her lap or desk when he felt it was time he received some more pats.
Joy was unsure if the day of Harvey’s adoption would ever come as, though people went through the shelter every day, he rarely received a second glance because of his deformity.
Some people couldn’t see the goofy innocence of Harvey’s lopsided look, and the poor dog was regularly referred to as “ugly”.
So when the Lankston family came through to meet him, Joy was unsure if this would be it.
Though it was bittersweet for her, Joy knew that this family was the right one for Harvey.
They were kind and gentle with him and saw his unusual look as something that just made him even cuter, not something to be ridiculed.
Harvey is now settled into his new home with his new family, and he has River and four new cat siblings to play with whenever he needs.
There are thousands of animals who need loving homes; if you are looking to add a furry addition to your family, please think about rescuing and saving a life.
