When Will Howkins adopted Haatchi, a three-legged dog, he had no idea the impact the Anatolian Shepherd would have on his family. Will's son Owen has Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes his muscles to be constantly tense. When it was time for Owen to start school, he quickly realized that he was different from the other kids and became scared to leave the house and afraid to talk to other people.

Haatchi also had a rough start to life. The poor pup had his leg and tail amputated after being tied to a railway line and hit by a train. The RSPCA and UK German Shepherd Rescue struggled to find the handicapped dog a new home, but Will came to the rescue after reading about Haatchi's plight on Facebook.

As soon as Haatchi came home, Owen and the dog were inseparable. Even more, Owen went from being scared of strangers to wanting to talk to everyone about Haatchi. He even wanted to leave the house all the time to attend pet shows. Owen also feels differently about his syndrome after seeing Haatchi take his “medicine,” a mix of honey, salmon oil, and supplements.

Haatchi's positive influence on Owen earned him the Animal of the Year award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Now the Anatolian Shepherd will be sharing his gift with others. Haatchi just completed his therapy dog certification and the family plans to bring him to visit amputee soldiers and terminally-ill children.  

It's such an amazing story that Owen's father was willing to adopt a three-legged dog and is now sharing Haatchi's gift with others in need.