Rowdy is a dog with some very unique facial markings. While he didn’t have an easy start in life, he now enjoys being showered with attention. As his owner, Niki Umbenhower admitted, she also loves watching him get lots of attention from strangers wanting to stop and pet him.
Rowdy: A Dog With Vitiligo
Niki has been using Rowdy as an ambassador of positivity in order to bring awareness to vitiligo. Rowdy even serves as a representative for the American Vitiligo Research Foundation. Rowdy is a sweet-natured dog, which means he is the perfect person to teach children more about the skin condition, and instill in them the lesson that it’s OK to look different.
In fact, Rowdy has even made a difference in the lives of some kids, like 8-year-old Carter Blanchard. Carter is a young boy who also suffers from vitiligo skin condition. Up until he met Rowdy, this child actually hated the way that he looked.
Carter’s mom, Stephanie Adcock, said, “His face was transforming very quickly. The first thing he’d tell me when he got in the car is that he hated his face and hated the way he looked.”
That has always got to be hard for a parent to hear coming from their child. But the sad reality is bullying usually causes this kind of self-loathing.
Thankfully, Carter – who was super excited to meet Rowdy, a dog with his same skin condition – has had a change of heart. Ever since meeting with Rowdy, Carter has become much more confident in himself and is learning to embrace the trait that makes him unique.
And that is truly a wonderful thing because self-love is very important.
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