When a backyard breeder attempted to breed a litter of chihuahua puppies to make some money, they quickly found themselves with more than they bargained for.
One of the puppies was sadly born without front legs.
The breeder was at a loss for what to do, but they knew they had to make some decisions.
Keep reading to find out what happened to this little puppy next.
A Ruff Start
The breeder didn’t want to separate the puppy from his mother too soon, but there was one “little” problem.
The puppy was so small, he wasn’t able to compete with his littermates for milk.
He was severely malnourished because of this and would probably need to be bottle fed.
The breeder had made a big mistake, but they wanted to do their best to right their wrong.
So, they went looking for help.
Help at Last
The breeder took the puppy, named Joey, to a rescue where he would be safe and cared for.
The rescue put Joey into a lovely foster home where he began to gain strength and weight.
Once Joey gained strength, he began to play with his new foster siblings who were a lot bigger than him.
He was a tiny boy, but he learned to play with the big guys in his foster home despite not having front legs.
Eventually, the foster could tell Joey was ready for a forever home.
So, the rescue started posting online, hoping someone would see how special he was.
Love at First Sight
Around the same time, a Massachusetts vet tech named Makayla Lo Cicero had started looking online for a new canine addition to her family.
“We were scrolling online, and then we saw him and I said ‘that’s my dog. I want that dog’,” Makayla shared.
She saw his cute little face and that sweet smile and called up the foster right away.
The rescue was completely on board, seeing that Makayla had all the resources and love that little Joey would need.
All that was left was for Makayla and her husband to meet him in person!
Hugs and Kisses
Makayla knocked on the foster’s door, anxious to see whether or not Joey would love her as much as she already loved him.
“The foster put him in my lap, and he just rolled over on his back and kissed my face,” Makayla said. “That’s when I knew he was my dog and always would be.”
Joey rode the whole way home in Makayla’s lap, and when they got home he immediately settled in.
“He stayed in the bed with us the whole night,” Makayla said.
Joey had found his forever home, and he knew it.
He was now free to live his best life, he just needed to figure out what that would look like!
Making New Friends
Joey had already fallen in love with Makayla and her husband, but he was about to find out his new family was even bigger than he thought.
“He got along great with our other rescue dogs right off the bat,” Makayla said.
Her greyhound and chiweenie were also very excited to meet Joey.
“Our greyhound is a little older, but he warmed up to Joey quickly,” Makayla said. “Joey also absolutely loves to snuggle up with our chiweenie.”
Now with his new family, Joey probably thought life couldn’t get any better.
But, he was about to be surprised at how sweet life with Makayla could be!
Happily Ever After
Soon after Joey arrived, Makayla and her husband set him up with a proper set of wheels.
It was like a whole new world for Joey.
“In his cart, he can just walk around all by himself,” Makayla said. “He really zooms around in that thing.”
When he’s not on his cart, he hops around like a little baby kangaroo, which is why they named him Joey!
“He loves to just run around in the grass outside and play with toys,” Makayla said. “He’s a jack of all trades. He loves everything.”
It’s safe to say that Joey will spend the rest of his days being spoiled, just like he deserves.
Makayla is so happy that Joey has become part of her family, and it seems like Joey is too!
Click here to follow Joey on Instagram so you can see him and his family everyday!