Family drives 1250 miles to give dog with a lopsided face a loving home

Sherry Lankston was doing her regular social media scroll in her Seattle home one evening when she noticed a young husky named Harvey with a lopsided grin that softened her heart. Even though Sherry already had one dog and two human children, she turned to her husband to tell him she had found them a dog. The only catch? Harvey was over 1,250 miles away in San Diego. According to TODAY, Sherry initially looked at flights, but they were too expensive, so she messaged Joy Ollinger, who had shared Harvey's photos and gotten to know the pup. Joy, who works at the San Diego Department of Animal Services, just wanted to get the word out about Harvey after seeing him stuck in the shelter for so long. Harvey had been there for months and nobody was interested in him. Some people even said he was ugly, or "Ew, look at him!"

Joy had bonded with Harvey and he was her office buddy. She bought him different puzzle toys once she noticed how smart he was. When Sherry reached out with the crazy idea to make the trip down to meet Harvey and potentially adopt him, Joy was thrilled. Joy was looking into different options on how they could get Harvey up to Seattle, but Sherry told her, "You know what, I'm just going to make the drive down."

The next day, Sherry packed her car with her two young boys, who were on break from school and their first dog, River. They drove almost the entire length of the West Coast, stopping at dog-friendly camps along the way. It took three days before they made it to San Diego. The first time they met Harvey, Sherry and her boys "just knew" he was their dog.

After making sure River and Harvey got along, they convinced Sherry's husband to fly down to San Diego to meet Harvey and then the family made the three-day trek back to Seattle. Harvey is already adjusting well to the cooler, rainy weather and he loves splashing in puddles and being silly. Sherry hopes that her family's adoption story inspires others to adopt a rescue animal, even if they don't drive for three days as she did. Harvey was bitten as a young pup, which caused his facial deformity. He was rescued by a group of people who found him and two other huskies abandoned in the desert while riding ATVs. Harvey had helped save the other two pups by getting them to follow their group for "miles" back to camp.

Sherry reached out to local TV stations and outlets to try to share her family's adoption story because she hopes it inspires others to adopt a rescue animal. "Let's go check out the shelter and maybe not pass up that wonky dog in a corner because that wonky dog in the corner could be their best friend," she says.

In conclusion, Sherry Lankston's story is a beautiful example of the power of adoption. She saw a dog in need and was willing to go the extra mile (or 1,250 miles, to be exact) to give him a loving home. She hopes that her family's story inspires others to consider adopting a rescue animal, even if they're not "perfect." It's not about looks; it's about the love and companionship that an animal can bring to your life.