Husky who was called 'ugly' for crooked smile finds forever home
A sweet Husky named Harvey, who had been called 'ugly' by some because of his crooked smile, has found his forever home.
The cute canine was brought into the San Diego Department of Animal Services Shelter last September looking 'thin and dirty' with a 'facial deformity'.
It was so noticeable that the shelter staff decided to name the poor pup Harvey, after the Batman character Harvey Dent, aka 'Two Face'.
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Officials believe that Harvey's 'crooked smile' might have been caused by a bite he could possibly have gotten when he was younger, but Harvey 'doesn't know any different and it doesn't seem to bother him.'
Unfortunately, though, Harvey's 'facial deformity' did bother other people and turned potential adopters off taking him home.
"People would walk by him and just not even give him a second look," said Joy Ollinger of the San Diego Department of Animal Services.
"I actually heard people saying he was ugly because of his facial deformity.
"And then the whole time he was there, no one requested to take him out for an interaction or possible adoption. Not once in the whole time."
If any of those people who rejected Harvey would like to step forward and make themselves known, hit me up. I just want to talk.
"We get so many people walking through, and it just made us sad because we love Harvey," she said.
"We saw how much he had to offer."
One day, Ollinger decided enough was enough, and made a Facebook post to spread the good word about Harvey.
"Harvey is a quiet and mellow husky who gets along with other dogs and loves treats," she wrote in the post.
"Harvey has a facial deformity that doesn't bother him but gives him a crooked smile. I think it makes him even more endearing."
And you'll be glad to know that it wasn't long before Harvey found his match.
Sherry Lankston admitted that she and her family hadn't been 'actively looking for a new fur baby', but when she got one look at Harvey's face, she fell in love.
"I joked with my husband that I had found our second dog," Sherry told Fox News LA.
"We’d been talking about getting a second dog for a while. River, our first dog, loves other dogs and needs a friend. So we're talking about it, but nothing ever really clicked."
After some deliberation with her husband, Sherry decided that Harvey was the dog for them, so she packed her kids Harrison, 7, and Fionnlagh, 4, in the car, and drove 1,000 miles to come and get him.
After their 20-hour drive, the Lankston family finally came face-to-face with Harvey, and it was love at first sight.
"It was so cute," Ollinger told Fox.
"He immediately took to her and her kids. Sherry brought her dog, River, all the way down too. Harvey and River just hit it off as well."
The next morning, the Lankstons packed up their car again, with Harvey and River in the trunk, and drove back home to Woodinville, Washington.
"Having him here is great," said Sherry in an update.
"He's playing with the kids, he's playing with us. It took River a day or two to really kind of settle in and realize that he's not just visiting. He is here forever."
Ali Condon