Little Pup With Special Needs Finds Joy in a Forever Home
Bre and Amanda Burger had always opened their hearts to dogs who needed extra care.
Over the years, their home became a safe place for pups with disabilities, each one filling their lives with more love than they ever imagined.
But nothing could have prepared them for the moment they first saw a small, unusual-looking dog online.
A Family’s Love Story With A Little Dog Who Looked Different
While scrolling through social media one evening, Bre stopped in her tracks.
A friend had shared a photo of a tiny pup named Marv, whose face looked unlike any dog she had ever seen before.
His crowded teeth and unusual jaw gave him a vampire-like appearance, but what Bre felt was not shock — it was an instant pull, as if this little soul already belonged with them.
At the time, Marv was still in foster care, waiting for someone to step up.
Bre couldn’t shake the feeling that his future was meant to be in their hands. “It felt like he was ours before we even met him,” she explained to friends later.
With that certainty, she and Amanda welcomed Marv into their family in June 2023, determined to give him the kind of life only true love can provide.
Learning To Care For A One-Of-A-Kind Pup
Once Marv arrived, the Burgers quickly realized just how unique his needs were. His mouth was shaped differently because of a genetic condition that hadn’t been fully diagnosed.
His short lower jaw, tiny tongue, and an extra row of teeth made eating and drinking a challenge.
But to Bre and Amanda, none of these hurdles mattered — they simply rolled up their sleeves and found solutions.
Since his tongue couldn’t quite reach into a bowl, Bre used a plastic syringe to give him water.
For mealtime, towels and a bib kept him comfortable as she carefully spoon-fed him. Far from being embarrassed by the extra steps, Marv seemed to treasure the routine.
Every feeding became a moment of joy, with his little eyes lighting up at the sight of food.
Of course, special meals meant extra cleanup. With so many teeth crowding his mouth, food would easily get stuck.
Bre made brushing after every meal part of his daily care, ensuring Marv stayed healthy. Caring for him required patience, but for the Burgers, it was simply an expression of love.
“He adores food more than anything else,” Bre often shared. “Helping him enjoy it is our greatest reward.”
And while his appearance might have made strangers pause, his personality told a different story. Marv wasn’t scary or intimidating at all.
Instead, he was gentle, affectionate, and eager to connect in his own unique way.
Marv’s True Purpose: Spreading Joy
As time passed, Marv settled into his new life with ease. He spent hours snuggled in his parents’ arms or perched on the couch watching TV like a little human.
His crossed front legs gave him an almost dignified presence, as if he knew how special he was.
And when he wanted to show affection, he used the teeth that once made him look different to gently nibble his family’s fingers — his own quirky version of a kiss.
The Burgers began sharing Marv’s journey on Instagram, never expecting how far his story would travel.
People from all over the world started following his adventures, touched by his resilience and captivated by his one-of-a-kind look.
What mattered most to Bre and Amanda wasn’t the attention, but the message Marv carried with him: that being different is not the same as being broken.
Every smile sparked by his photos reminded them why they had taken him in. “He has this gift of making people happy,” Bre often says.
For those who once might have dismissed him as “ugly” or “imperfect,” Marv became proof that love transforms everything. His small body carried a powerful truth — joy doesn’t come from perfection, but from the ability to bring light into others’ lives.
Marv may have been born with challenges, but his purpose is clear. He is here to remind the world that every life, no matter how different, has the power to inspire, connect, and heal hearts.
And in the warm embrace of the Burger family, he is finally living the life he was always meant to have.
