Clefford’s family was homeless. They couldn’t afford to pay the high costs of his medical needs. His cleft palate gave him a crooked smile but caused him so much pain. The family needed to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender the pup to a group in Boston: the Angell Animal Medical Center.
Luckily, Clefford didn’t have a lot of trouble adapting to shelter life. He didn’t get stressed out and stayed sweet and friendly. Then, one day, he met Will Stoltenberg, a volunteer with the organization. Will found himself returning to Clefford all the time to pet him. Clefford definitely enjoyed Will’s attention!
Will couldn’t forget about Clefford. That’s when he made the decision to adopt the precious pup. So he filled out the paperwork and brought the pup home. That’s when Will found out that Clefford was terrified of almost everything: skateboards, women, vehicles, even kids!
Will was very patient with Clefford. He taught him that these weren’t things to be afraid of. Slowly, that encouragement helped Clefford be braver, and he became more confident. Soon, he started loving the outdoors!
Now, Clefford has lived with his Dad, Will, for a year. The pup loves going on walks and saying hello to everyone he meets. The pup has undergone four surgeries in order to help fix the cleft palate. They’ve been successful, and the palate is now nothing but little a hole in his mouth roof. It’s also left him with a super cute crooked snout!
Clefford is so glad he got a second chance at life, and he’s even happier that his Dad has been so kind, patient, and loving.
He’s now happier than he’s ever been!
Images & Feature Image Source: Will Stoltenberg