It’s hard to miss 7-year-old Dexter as he walks down the street in his hometown of Ouray, Colorado.
He’s got style – and he loves the attention.
He’s also game for a good belly rub.
Dexter is a Brittany spaniel who has learned to walk on his own two feet – literally.
Dexter’s story
Dexter’s life didn’t start out so happy. His owner, Kentee Pasek told KDVR News:
“As a puppy, he was hit by a car. We knew we were going to have to get rid of one of the arms. We didn’t know that the other arm had more damage to the elbow, so he had about five or six different surgeries.”
Here’s Dexter before his surgery:
Dogs are resilient, especially when they’re young.
Despite his accident, Dexter got a second chance at life.
By all accounts, he’s making the most of it – and he’s certainly learned to cope with his injuries.
Dexter has three legs, so he can stand like a dog to eat and drink, but when it comes to walking, he looks more like a human.
Pesek was taken aback following Dexter’s surgery when he started walking again.
“…all the sudden, he’s walking upright, and it just shocks the heck out of us” she said.
A shot at fame
Despite his humble beginnings, Dexter’s celebrity goes well beyond the confines of Ouray these days.
Thanks to the internet, where the pup entertains fans via TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, millions of people have become fans.
Thousands of people watch Dexter’s videos each day, watching him stroll down the street, mountains in the background, and fans coming to say hello.
It’s a charmed life – and one only very special owners could give him.
Managing Dexter
Pesek not only manages her dog’s health and wellness these days, but she’s also made handling his social media a full-time job!
At first, she had no idea what would come of putting the pup online, but during the pandemic, she realized people needed some inspiration.
“…during the pandemic everyone was absolutely bored, and we didn’t know what was going to happen. So Dexter really just inspired everyone to realize life would be OK and we could adapt no matter what, and I think his story just hit home to a lot of people,” she said.
Dexter’s life lessons
Most spaniel breeds live 10 to 15 years, so Dexter is middle-aged – but no one could have ever expected him to live such a long happy life after his accident.
Nevertheless, he persists.
And in doing so, he teaches us some important lessons about living life to the fullest – no matter what that looks like for us as individuals.
“I think Dexter teaches us that we have our ideas so set in a box about the way life should be, but in reality, we really don’t have control over it. And I think if we would stop like really thinking all the time about the past or if we would just stop getting anxious about the future, and we could live more in the moment, I think that’s what Dexter wants us to do,” Pasek said.
Be sure to scroll down below to see sweet Dexter in action.
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