A rescue dog from New York is beating the odds despite having numerous birth defects including dwarfism.
The pit bull named Sassy “...was turned into the Manhattan kill shelter because her owners couldn’t (or wouldn’t) deal with her ‘health issues.’”
The canine began receiving care from the group Forgotten Friends of Long Island in 2012, and was eventually adopted by Ernie Altamirano who lived in the area and had experience caring for special needs dogs.
He is quoted as saying about her deformities, “She has bent front legs, flipper feet, and she has severe hip dysplasia in her hind legs. She also can’t bark because her trachea is bent like a lowercase ‘n.’”
A Facebook post about her rescue explains that her defects, which also include a misplaced sternum and heart valve issue, are “more than likely a product of basement breeding.”
Nevertheless, Sassy has thrived past the three-year life expectancy she was initially given, even showing her adventures at home and in the snow on her own Facebook and Instagram pages.
