Dexter the Brittany Spaniel is a special little guy.
Back in 2016, he was hit by a truck and was left with life-changing injuries. But did he let that stop him from enjoying his life to the fullest? Absolutely not!
“He is extremely goofy and sweet, and a little mischievous.” Kentee Pasek, Dexter’s owner, told Next 9NEWS.
The accident occurred in Ouray, Colorado, after Dexter somehow managed to escape from his garden. Despite a group of neighbors coming together to help catch him, Dexter remained out of reach.
He seemed to be heading towards the local park – and that’s when Dexter’s family really began to worry.
The park in itself was safe – but on the other side was an incredibly busy main road. Like all dogs, Dexter didn’t know much about road safety, and if he reached the road, he wouldn’t understand that he needed to stop.
Kentee’s husband Tim spotted Dexter in the park and frantically rushed towards him – but it was too late.
All he could do is watch as Dexter ran out straight into the path of a truck.
“We didn’t think he’d make it, his front legs got caught right under the wheel,” Kentee recalled.
The family had already put down two dogs in two years, and they couldn’t face putting Dexter down too, without at least giving him a chance.
View this post on Instagram
The resilient dog went through multiple surgeries and rehab, and as time went on, he began to adapt. But Dexter’s new walking technique was completely unexpected.
In fact, it was quite an accident the day that Kentee found out that Dexter had taught himself to walk like a human.
She’d carried Dexter out into her garden before leaving him on the grass as she returned inside to get her coffee. When she came out again, she was surprised to find that he was sitting on her porch.
View this post on Instagram
Kentee put him back on the grass, and Dexter was able to show off his newly acquired skills. Inspired by his fellow humans, Dexter stood up on his hind legs and stepped one foot in front of the other!
Naturally, this was pretty comical to observe.
“It’s pretty funny, they’re like a couple walking down the street, almost,” one local said. “He’s the absolute best and such a quirky dog.”
View this post on Instagram
Over time, Dexter’s unique way of walking became normal to the family.
“We saw a dog walking with its owner, and I remember one of my kids saying, ‘that dog looks weird, what’s wrong with it?’ because this is now our normal,” Kentee said.
View this post on Instagram
However, his human-like walk still attracts attention from strangers – both in real life and online.
Dexter became a pandemic star after somebody secretly filmed him and Kentee walking down the street and posted it onto TikTok. He now has his own Instagram page with over 70k followers, as well as 228k fans on TikTok.
“It cracks me up, I just can’t believe that he cracks other people up as well,” Kentee said of her dog’s newfound fame.
We’re so happy that Kentee and Tim decided to give Dexter the chance to prove to them that he could still thrive in life – even without the use of his front legs!
Dexter brings smiles to the faces of people all over the world – something that wouldn’t be happening if he was no longer with us.
Take a look at Dexter walking below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
