A woman jumped at the chance to adopt a puppy offered at half price, but the reason the first family backed out of bringing him home left people heartbroken.
Owner Haley Pierson and family thought it was too soon for another dog after they lost their American golden retriever due to cancer, hitting her dad the most, as the two were inseparable, she told Newsweek. However, they were presented with the opportunity to purchase an English cream retriever puppy from a breeder in 2024. This time, the pup was available for “50% off.”
“My mom and I had planned to get [my dad] a puppy, but thought it wouldn’t be for a few months, but when we heard about a special ‘discount’ puppy who needed a home, we went to just look, knowing he would be ours the moment we met him,” she said.
Pierson shared in an Instagram video under the account @liam.thespecialcream that the breeder reduced the cost after the original family, who put in a deposit before the puppy was born, backed out. They no longer wanted the English cream retriever after he suffered a “vestibular incident” and wanted to wait for a pup without any possible defects, Pierson said.
The vestibular system, located in a portion of the ear, helps dogs maintain balance, posture, and head position and influences eye movement, according to PetMD. Vestibular disease causes sudden loss of balance and coordination, similar to that of vertigo in humans.
Pierson and her family have since fallen head over heels for their sweet and goofy, half-price dog. They have since named him Liam.
“He still has a bobblehead and his eyes go back and forth due to his nystagmus, but he has the sweetest disposition and has made our lives infinitely greater,” Pierson said.
Liam is a drooler and a barker. He barks more than the family’s previous dogs did, but Pierson believes it may be due to his neurological imbalance. They’ve been working on training to reduce his barking. Another concern with Liam is the risk of another vestibular episode.
“There was no indication before it happened the first time, so it’s hard to say with certainty that it won’t occur again,” she said. “There’s a chance it could’ve been caused by something as simple as an ear infection. Initially, they had hoped he’d grow out of it, but couldn’t be positive.”
Liam’s symptoms appeared suddenly when hew as about six weeks old, including a head tilt, falling, circling, jerky eye movements, drooling and confusion or delayed motor responses.
But otherwise, he’s a typical golden retriever: friendly, gentle, playful and outgoing. Pierson said he just requires a little extra attention.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a great breeder and care team that used a combination of traditional and homeopathic medicine to treat his symptoms—everything from supplements to acupuncture to laser therapy,” she said.
Viewer Reactions
The Instagram video had reached over 151,000 views as of Wednesday, with viewers both heartbroken that a family gave him up and thankful Pierson stepped in to give Liam the best life.
“They did not deserve you. The Lord knew the perfect family for you,” wrote one user.
A second person commented: “Oh my god!! The most precious little boy.”
A third said: “…It breaks my heart that this poor boy got given away because of that.”
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