According to CBS Minnesota, the golden retriever (寻回犬) named Marvel was the only one in her litter born without a front right paw (爪子). She's since been taken in by the Williams family in Waconia, whose 7-year-old son, Paxton Williams, had his right leg cut away three years ago.
Rolling Oaks Goldens breeder Barb Felt found the Williams family through a friend, Paxton's doctor. "When she was born, we knew right away she had a special purpose," Felt said. "We wanted her to go in a home with someone who had a limb (肢体) difference."
Paxton was born before the time was enough, which caused the boy to develop a serious problem in his right leg, which stunted the limb's growth. Three years ago, Paxton's parents made the difficult decision to have the boy's right leg amputated and replaced with an artificial limb. Paxton's mother, Stephanie, appreciates how their new pet addition helps her son normalize his physical differences.
"It gives him the opportunity to tell the kids, ‘Oh, she's missing a paw, she's like me,'" the mom explained. "Just like it gives him that voice to advocate for himself."
Blaine, Paxton's father, has also been moved by seeing Paxton and Marvel enjoy walks together on trails near their house. "It's like they knew they were special," Blaine said. "The amount of emotions was running through me at the time," he continued. "It was just awesome because she was in the perfect place at the perfect time."
Marvel might need a wheelchair or an artificial paw of her own as she grows larger and gets older. The family hopes that Paxton will someday be able to run with his artificial leg and that Marvel will be there to run beside him.
