Dog With Same Skin Condition Gives Little Boy The Confidence He’s Always Needed

An Arkansas boy with a rare skin condition has now found the best friend he has always needed.

Meet Rowdy, a Labrador Retriever who was born was born with all black fur. Three years ago, his owners began to notice he was developing white spots all over his body. “Around the age of 11, he started to get just a little white. I didn’t think anything of it, I just thought he was getting old,” Rowdy’s owner Niki Umbenhower told ABC 13 News.

It turns out Rowdy has a rare skin disorder called Vitiligo, which is the same skin condition that 8-year-old Carter was diagnosed with. The boy and dog were living more than 2,000 miles away from one another, and Carter struggled on a daily basis with every new spot that appeared on his face.

“Carter was diagnosed and got Vitiligo the exact same month and year that Rowdy did,” Carter’s mom Stephanie Adcock told the news station. Carter and Rowdy wound up being introduced digitally, but Rowdy was teaching Carter to love his skin despite vitiligo.

Stephanie says Rowdy gave Carter the confidence that she always tried to give him. “Really, it was life changing for him. It changed his childhood for the better, it was a gift I couldn’t give him,” Stephanie said.

The long awaited moment came when Carter and Rowdy finally met, and it has changed Carter’s life. “I have goosebumps when I think about the moment they walked through the door. I’m getting emotional, it’s amazing,” Niki said.

Carter says he loves his four-legged friend but wishes that Rowdy had just a few more spots. “He needs some more on his back,” Carter said. “It couldn’t be any other person that made him feel better. It had to be Rowdy, it had to be a dog,” Stephanie said.

Sadly, KATU reported on Sunday that Rowdy suffered a seizure, and a GoFundMe reports that his health has been declining. If you’ve like to help this sweet dog with his medical treatment, please click here. Out of a goal of $10,000, over $7,000 has already been raised.