Ten-year-old Tianna Johnason knew exactly what she wanted for Christmas: a disabled dog. Her wish came true.
Before the festive holiday, the girl, along with her twin sister Gianna, welcomed a pit bull with deformed legs into their home. It was a match made in heaven.
The twins both have special needs. Tianna was born with cataracts and diagnosed with glaucoma when she was about five years old. She is legally blind and walks with a cane. Gianna is also legally blind and has high-functioning autism.
Their mother, Dana Polito-Corry, met Carmella at local pet grooming shop Must Love Dogs in Wayne, New Jersey. Unaware of the dog’s disabilities, Polito-Corry told owner Sandy Roberto that she loved the dog and on cue Carmella came over.
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Roberto, who had been fostering Carmella for about a year, asked Polito-Corry if she would be interested in adopting her. Despite the dog’s deformities (a vet believes the dog was kept in a cage too small, causing her legs to bow out), Roberto assured Polito-Corry that the dog was a sweetheart.
But before considering adopting her, Polito-Corry brought needed to bring her four other dogs to meet Carmella. They got along!
So, she brought home Carmella to meet the girls, and the first thing she did was make her self at home by jumping on the bed. She told ABC that Gianna was “ecstatic” while Tianna was “overwhelmed.”
The dog is already helping the girls deal with social issues. For one Tianna’s social anxiety is improving, as Carmella’s disability serves as an ice breaker for when people ask she walks differently.
“She’s able to chat about the dog and explain what happened to her,” Politco-Corry told the outlet. “It definitely opens up the doors.”
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H/T ABC
