Being different doesn’t mean that you are any less worthy. Everybody deserves a chance, no matter their imperfections.
This little Boxer puppy was born different from the rest of his litter, and the owner didn’t think she deserved a chance to live.
She was born with a cleft palate, which meant the breeder wouldn’t be able to sell or show her, and thus, she was invaluable to him.
Fortunately, the nurses who work in the veterinary clinic believed that she didn’t deserve to be euthanized because of a treatable condition, so they decided to step in and save the little pup.
Born Different, Not Less
In February 2024, someone brought a pregnant Boxer dog to the Stockton Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey that needed surgery.
Puppies were born, but one happened to be a little bit different from others. She was actually born with a cleft palate, which is a relatively common condition in dogs.
According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a cleft palate is “an opening between the mouth and the nose that happens when the tissue separating the two cavities do not grow together properly.”
Since this puppy could not be sold or shown, the breeder wanted the veterinarians to euthanize her.
One of the hospitals’ certified veterinary technicians, Nicole Morvant, simply couldn’t bear to let this tiny puppy get euthanized, especially when there was a whole life ahead of her.
Since it was a very fixable issue, the clinic refused to euthanize the puppy, but instead asked the owner to surrender her to Morvant.
“Her cleft palate is quite big, but she was able to eat from a bottle in the beginning (as opposed to tube feeding) every three to four hours, and she’s now eating regular soft food a few times a day. She will need surgery to correct it when she’s bigger, which we will do at our hospital in the northeast,” Morvant told Newsweek.
Alive And Thriving
The tiny puppy – who is yet to be named – is living at home in New Jersey with Morvant, where she gets all the love, care, and cuddles she deserves.
Taking care of a puppy with a cleft palate is challenging, but luckily, nurse Morvant knows how to keep her healthy and happy.
They had to bottle-feed her formula at first, but now that she is a bit older, they started to mix puppy kibble and puppy wet food with some water and gelatin.
“A lot of people are saying that keeping her alive is cruel and selfish, but I would argue getting rid of the puppy because they need a little bit more care, a little bit more patience, a little bit more time, a little bit more work, a little bit more love, is cruel and selfish thing to do,” Morvant said in one of the videos she posted on TikTok.
@nicmorva follow along for her journey ❤️ #boxer #puppiesoftiktok #adoptdontshop #foryou ♬ Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
She keeps growing, learning, and showing people that her life is worth living despite being a tiny bit different.
She’s an adorable little puppy who loves to snuggle and nap or be a little bit sassy. Recently she found her voice and is not afraid to use it.
“All in all, the amount of love she’s received on social media is overwhelming and she now has an entire army behind her cheering her on,” Morvant said.
She is a little fighter who definitely has a lot to show the world.
For updates on this little princess, please follow Nicole Morvant on TikTok.