When he was just a baby, Quinn was diagnosed with cancer. He overcame that first hurdle only to face another, more deadly diagnosis of osteosarcoma years later when he was only ten. This cancer was a result of the radiation treatment he had received when he was a baby.
To survive, Quinn had to undergo surgery to remove his right hip and leg. It was a difficult time for this brave young man, and he didn't want to endure it alone. That's where Logan came in, and a beautiful, lasting friendship was formed.
On the morning of his surgery, Quinn turned to his mom and "asked for a three-legged dog," his mother recalled. “At the time, I thought he was just being silly. Oh no. He was very serious, and he never let me forget!” Indeed, Quinn kept reminding his mother of his request periodically over the next two years of intensive physical therapy and recovery.
Then one day, a friend shared a post on Facebook with Quinn's mother. The dog in the video was named Logan, and, like Quinn, Logan had beaten the odds stacked against him. He had one of his front legs amputated but had learned to adapt and love life anyway. Quinn's mother knew in that instant that Logan was meant to be her son's dog.
“As the video about a sweet and playful pit bull named Logan played, my eyes began to water and my heart raced. Logan just had one of his front legs amputated, yet he was bouncing around, playing fetch, and happily greeting children as they walked by," she said. "I let the clip play over and over as my mind flooded with thoughts of my son. I knew immediately that we had to go get him."
The very next day, Quinn and his mother drove to the Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento, California. There they met Logan, and there a bond was forged between two warriors who, despite their strengths, needed each other to lean on. Quinn's mother stated, "That dog had so much love to give! He was so perfect for Quinn. Lots of tears were shed that afternoon. Happy tears, of course."
With Logan by his side, Quinn has blossomed into a more confident and assured young man. Logan knows what Quinn has gone through and continues to go through every day, and they draw on each other's courage to face the future. Quinn no longer lives in fear that any day his cancer may return. Instead, each day is a full adventure with his dedicated, loyal Logan.
Quinn's mother is beyond grateful for the change Logan has brought to her son's life. “I think back to that day, and I think in the moment I was trying to give my son something to brighten his days, something that he so very much deserved after everything he had been through,” she said. “Yet, I never could possibly have imagined how having Logan would completely transform him.”
Their respective challenges have bonded these two souls, and given Quinn the strength to tackle each day as it comes. “Going through cancer treatment as a child is an extremely isolating experience, and now Quinn is never alone. Not only does he always have Logan by his side, but he feels as if he has someone who actually knows what he’s experienced and what he continues to face. As he says, ‘Logan just gets me,'" his mother shared.
Quinn and Logan's story was submitted to the Petco Foundation's Holiday Wishes campaign, and it was selected as the winning story. Front Street Animal Shelter received a grant award of $125,000 to help them save animals who can also change the lives of their adopters!
Congratulations to Quinn and Logan, and everyone at the Front Street Animal Shelter! Watch the Petco Foundation's video below about Quinn and Logan, and then share their heartwarming story with your family and friends on Facebook.
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