The wonderful story started with Joy Ollinger, a Humane Officer at the San Diego County Department of Animal Services in Carlsbad, who shared a Facebook post with photos of shelter dogs that were eager to be adopted. Ollinger's caption praised the pups and highlighted their potential as great pets.

Among the dogs seeking a forever home was Harvey, a lovable two-year-old husky with a unique facial deformity that produced an adorable lopsided smile.

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While most found this facial deformity cute and unique, others thought it was “ugly.”

Harvey arrived at the Carlsbad shelter in September 2022, looking thin and dirty. Harvey was named after the DC Comics character Harvey Dent because of his crooked smile. (In the comic, Harvey later became Two-Face, one of Batman’s many archenemies.)

According to Ollinger, Harvey was examined by veterinarians. The facial deformity is most likely due to being bitten when Harvey was a young puppy. The good news is that it doesn’t bother or hurt Harvey.

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But sadly, Harvey’s facial deformity seems to bother potential adopters.

According to Ollinger, people would walk past Harvey and not give him a second look. She even heard people commenting he was ugly because of his facial deformity.

Ollinger added that Harvey was not requested to be taken out for interaction or a possible adoption the entire time he was in the shelter.

It made them sad for Harvey, whom they loved very much, because they knew how sweet, bright, and quiet this puppy with a lopsided grin was.

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Harvey loves to seek attention and often lies by Ollinger’s feet in her office. Whenever she would type on her computer, Harvey loved to put his front paw up and look at the keyboard. A brilliant and funny dog, indeed! 

Moreover, he’s a mellow dog who gets along with other dogs. He also loves treats. Even with a facial deformity, Harvey has so much love to give.

This drove Ollinger to create a Facebook post about Harvey’s remarkable personality, crooked smile, how much he had to offer, and why he should be given a chance. 

Fortunately, Ollinger’s Facebook post caught the attention of a family living in Woodinville, Washington. 

Sherry Lankston, a 41-year-old woman, fell in love with Harvey, a husky with a lopsided face, after seeing a Facebook post made by Joy Ollinger, a Humane Officer at the San Diego County Department of Animal Services. Sherry, who lived over 1,000 miles away from the shelter, immediately responded to the post as soon as she saw Harvey's silly grin. She had not been actively searching for a dog to adopt, but Harvey's sweet face and goofy smile caught her attention.

Sherry had been looking for a friend for their first dog, River, but nothing seemed to click. However, when she saw Harvey's photo, she knew that he was the one. She contacted Ollinger to express her interest in adopting Harvey. Within three days, Sherry and her two children, Harrison and Fionnlagh, and their dog, River, were on a road trip to Carlsbad.

Although Sherry was aware that Harvey could be adopted before her family arrived in San Diego, she took the risk and decided to drive 2,600 miles over six days just to meet Harvey in person and bring him home. Sherry found it hard to resist Harvey's sweet face and goofy smile, and she knew that he was the perfect dog for their family.

The road trip to San Diego was a perfect opportunity for Sherry and her family to visit their favorite places and friends. They made the long journey just to see Harvey and bring him to his forever home. Sherry's love for Harvey was undeniable, and she was willing to do everything it takes to provide him with a loving home.

In conclusion, Sherry Lankston's love for Harvey, the husky with a lopsided face, led her to take a six-day road trip covering over 2,600 miles just to adopt him. Despite the distance, Sherry knew that Harvey was the perfect dog for their family, and she was willing to take the risk to bring him home.

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Everything turned out great for Harvey and the Lankston family. On their first meeting, Harvey immediately took to Sherry’s kids. Harvey got along really well with River, too. 

The following day, Sherry’s husband, Robert, flew to Carlsbad to meet Harvey, who just walked up to him and leaned against his legs like they were old friends.

The following morning, a Saturday, Harvey began the long trip back home with his new family.

For Ollinger, parting with Harvey was bittersweet. But she and Sherry had become friends, and the latter had been sending text messages, photos, and videos of Harvey almost every day.  

Since Sherry brought Harvey home, she has learned more about Harvey’s rescue story. Someone who saw Harvey’s story on Facebook reached out to her and shared how they were riding their ATVs in the desert and saw Harvey under a bush with two female huskies.

Harvey saved the lives of the two female huskies by helping them follow the ATV back to the car so they could be rescued. The dogs followed them for miles, and they had no leashes on.

The group who helped Harvey and the two female dogs brought them back to their camp to feed them strawberries and chicken hamburger patties.

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Since Harvey’s been home with his new family, he has thrived and is happily settled in with the kids and other animals, including a snail and four cats.

Ollinger hopes that Harvey’s incredible story will encourage adopters to look beyond an animal’s flaws. They all need a family to love them and a loving home where they can feel safe. They all deserve a chance. 

The San Diego Department of Animal Services shelter houses approximately 110 dogs at a time. Oftentimes, the shelter reaches its full capacity.

Help save the animals’ lives by giving them a forever home. Adopt a dog like Harvey today. The shelter is open to the public for a visit, and you can walk in or set an appointment.

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