Puppy With ‘Wonky’ Face Rescued From Romania Finds Forever Home Despite Her Looks

(Illustration - Lichtflut/Shutterstock)

A puppy born with a severe facial disfigurement has won hearts despite her striking physical difference.

Bethany, a 9-month-old Labrador cross, was born to a homeless stray on the streets of Romania. The puppy’s birth defect, a twisted snout and lopsided jaw, gave her a shocking appearance; moreover, she could not even open and close her mouth properly. Yet, veterinarians insisted that Bethany’s disfigurement did not impede her health at all.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Bethany,” volunteer fosterer Zoe Casey, 46, told the Daily Mail. “[S]he doesn’t even snore when she’s asleep.”

Bethany’s mother, after she became pregnant, was taken in by a Romanian family who helped care for her litter of five until help arrived from overseas. The mother had a droopy eye herself, and according to the Eastern Daily Press, a vet in Romania speculated that the father was likely Pekingese—which led to deformities in the five puppies, Bethany’s being the most pronounced.

Bethany was rescued and transported from Romania to England in late December 2019. She can eat, run, and play nearly as well as any healthy young dog. Her rescuers at the charity Safe Rescue For Dogs, based in the English town of Norwich in Norfolk, hoped to find her a permanent home but were fearful that people would overlook Bethany because of her disfigurement.

They were wrong; when they posted photos of Bethany online, she quickly became an unlikely social media star and was highly sought after by potential adoptive families.

Casey confirmed that Bethany had been assessed by vets from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at both Calais and Dover on her way into England, and their conclusion was unanimous: Bethany’s disfigurement does not impact her health.

“If she was ill, she would have been seized because that’s their job,” Casey explained to the Daily Mail. “She is absolutely fine. She is the most amazing dog. She is gentle and happy.”

Not only that, Bethany’s sparkling personality made her immediately eligible for adoption; she loves children, is obedient, and as one of a litter of five pups, she interacts beautifully with other dogs.

“She is very much a Labrador in her temperament,” Casey said. “There is an attitude of people looking for the picture-perfect dog but I think people need to look a bit deeper. What she looks like is irrelevant because her heart is pure gold.”

Safe Rescue For Dogs was originally launched by Casey’s sister Kelly Hare, 43. Representatives from the charity journey to Romania annually to help alleviate the country’s stray dog crisis in two ways: one, with an outreach spay-and-neutering campaign, and the other by transporting adoptable dogs like Bethany back to England.

While Bethany’s facial disfigurement is certainly unusual, Casey believes that physical disfigurements are easier to cope with than the trauma or behavioral problems that many long-suffering street dogs may exhibit.

“Sometimes a facial disfigurement is not as bad as a mental disfigurement when dogs have been treated badly,” she explained. “Bethany has not been treated badly ... She’s not worried or scared. With so many dogs we have to work through how they have been treated, and that’s worse.”

Temporary foster homes were also found for two of Bethany’s siblings, while the remaining two were scheduled to arrive from Romania in early 2020. According to ITV, Safe Rescue For Dogs was inundated with offers to home the sweet-tempered Bethany after posting an appeal on social media.

The perfect home for the “wonky-faced” dog was soon found. Experienced dog fosterers Sarah Richards, Matt Lawrence, and their children, who reside in the town of Great Ryburgh, near Fakenham, fell in love with Bethany for all the right reasons.

“We know them incredibly well,” Hare explained, “and we needed someone strong enough to take what people say and to stand up for Bethany.”

Bethany’s new foster dad, Lawrence, revealed how well the new match is faring. “She is really coming out of herself,” he said. “These dogs are so grateful for a loving home, and they have a huge capacity for love if they are treated correctly.”