With Aardvark, what you see really is what you get — a goofy, irresistible pup whose heart is just as charming as his appearance.
In January, a Good Samaritan spotted the young dog wandering the streets of Baltimore City and brought him to the Maryland SPCA (MDSPCA). Staff members were stunned the moment they met him: a 50-pound puppy with a cartoonish face and flipper-like paws, as if he’d jumped straight out of an animated world.
“Honestly, none of us could take him seriously,” said Brittany Roger, a digital specialist at MDSPCA. “His face and his personality inspired a lot of giggles.”
A veterinary exam revealed something surprising — Aardvark was only 8 months old. His small lower jaw wasn’t the result of an accident, as people often assume, but simply the way he was born.
“They’re always relieved to learn he was just born that beautiful,” Roger said.
Despite his unusual features, nothing slows Aardvark down.
He eats happily, chews gently on toys and lives life with a joyful ease that makes him even more lovable.
“He’s happy and healthy, which makes his goofiness even more endearing,” Roger added.
His personality is every bit as wonderful as his looks. Aardvark loves attention, new friends and any excuse to be around people who treat him kindly.
“He’s an energetic, happy, social little dude,” Roger said. “We love dressing him up and taking him places because nothing seems to faze him.”
But finding a forever home has proven harder than expected.
Even though the shelter describes him as a “one-size-fits-all” dog who is so friendly “he could make friends with a brick wall,” the adoption applications that come in keep falling through.
“It’s not his fault — he’s just had a string of bad luck,” Roger said.
Still, everyone at the shelter is rooting for him. And they’re hopeful that the right person will finally see what they see: a sweet, joyful, one-of-a-kind dog who has nothing but love to give.
