POPSUGAR

This Boy and His Three-Legged Dog Will Melt Your Heart

Feb 19 2014 - 10:33am

There's something special about a boy and his dog. But the story of Owen Howkins and his puppy Haatchi is extra heartwarming. The 8-year-old suffers from Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome, an incredibly rare disorder that causes his muscles to tense up all the time. Because of his condition, he felt different and had a hard time connecting to other kids.

Then along came Haatchi, a three-legged Anatolian shepherd dog. The family met Haatchi at a London animal shelter, and there was an instant connection between the boy and the dog.

"There was just a communication between them that only they will ever understand," Colleen Drummond, Owen's stepmother, says of the two's first meeting. "It's like they both knew that each other were different, and there was an instant acceptance of those differences."

"Haatchi changed my life," Owen says. "He's special." Now just try not to tear up as you watch the video of these two very special friends, and yes, Haatchi does have a Facebook page [1].

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Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/family/Boy-Schwartz-Jampel-Syndrome-Gets-Help-From-Dog-Haatchi-34097169