The unfortunate reality of dog breeding today is that dogs are often bred to look “beautiful”.
It’s a strange thing, when you think about it – why would you care that your dog is the stereotypical image of perfection? Surely other things, like a friendly temperament and a loving heart, are far more important?
So when Anna Marie Giannini came across Tilly, a unique Tibetan spaniel, she knew she pup was for her.
Tilly had been marked out from her litter. She wasn’t “normal”, and she certainly wouldn’t typically be classed as “beautiful”.
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But Anna knew that when it came to choosing the perfect dog for her family, looks were far from important.
And when you clap eyes with Tilly, you’ll feel exactly the same way too.
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Speaking to The Dodo about the moment she decided to adopt Tilly, Anna recalled:
“When I arrived, they had told me one of the puppies was deformed and they could not find her a home, which could lead to euthanization. I had already fallen in love with her and planned out our next year together in my head before he was even done saying that awful statement.”
You may have seen dogs with Tilly’s condition before, but probably not in real life. Known as short spine syndrome, it’s a rare condition that’s characterized by a compressed vertebrae.
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Short spine syndrome gives dogs a unique appearance, making them look like they have no neck and a short back.
From the moment she held the pup for the first time, Anna was instantly blown away by how adorable Tilly was.
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She recalled:
“When I got her, she was this dirty little fluff ball. She fit perfectly inside my hand, and as we drove home from where I picked her up, she lay in my lap and looked up at me with her big brown eyes, and I knew she needed me and I needed her.”
Anna was sad for Tilly, a pup who had been unwanted for so long.
She promised Tilly that she would always be wanted from now on – and she stuck to her word.
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When Tilly grew, her deformity became more obvious. But she was still able to live every day to the best, and her short spine never held her back from anything.
While Tilly needs a little help getting on and off furniture, and is unable to turn to itch herself, she’s not much different from her canine friends.
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It’s impossible not to love a dog as sweet and friendly as Tilly.
Anna explained how the pup dotes on her, saying:
“She sleeps in bed with me like a little human, putting her head on the pillow and tucking her legs into the blanket. She always has to be near me, touching me. When I’m cooking she stands right between my legs. When I’m doing homework, she is laying right next to me with her paws on me.”
But aside from loving her human, Tilly taught Anna something even more important: that being different is a special thing.
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Tilly’s deformity is simply a part of who she is, and not a reason to see her as “lesser than”.
If you’re as obsessed with this adorable pup as we are, you can follow her adventures on her Instagram account, tillythefriendlyloaf.
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