Forrest, a Great Dane puppy, was born with a rare condition that caused all four of his paws to curl like a Ballerina’s toes. It made walking difficult and his foster mom’s vet had no idea how to help. Forrest came from a breeder in Tijuana who also tried to fix his paws but when he said he couldn’t help either, and the only alternative was to put the two-pound puppy down, a rescue organization stepped in just in time.
As Forrest grew, it became increasingly important to find a solution for his feet before he became too big to support his own weight. After reaching out to numerous vets and orthopedic specialists, Forrest’s foster mom, L.B., finally contacted Lumen and her family. Lumen is another Great Dane who was born with the same deformities and had successfully undergone surgery to correct her paws.
Forrest and Lumen, who were likely siblings due to their condition’s rarity and shared origin in Tijuana, were brought together for a heartwarming meet and greet. L.B. connected with Lumen’s vet at Oregon State, and Forrest underwent multiple surgeries to correct his paws.
L.B. had to leave Forrest in Oregon since the vet had to operate on the pup one paw at a time. During his stay, Forrest was taken care of by a team of people, including Lumen’s family. When he was finally able to return home, Forrest was introduced to Tyler, a volunteer at the rescue organization. Tyler quickly fell in love with the goofy Great Dane. Tyler also began dating L.B. while the pup was in Oregon. As Forrest continued to recover and grow stronger, Tyler decided to adopt him, giving Forrest the loving forever home he deserved– and the opportunity to stay with the only human mom he had ever known!
With the support of his foster mom, Lumen’s family, and his new dad, Tyler, Forest has overcome incredible odds and is now able to run and play like any other dog.
Toledo, United States.
