By Daphne Munro For bc15.com

PHOENIX – Even if you are not a dog lover you will love this story about a dog named Rudy, a 3-year-old Samoyed.

Rudy was found as a stray and was brought to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control in November 2009. Jennifer Kenney, who owns Little Rascals Rescue and often visits Animal Care Center to find dogs that may need her help, saw Rudy in his kennel on her last visit.

He was sitting down in his kennel and was a very happy dog; Kenney figured someone would eventually adopt him because he was so happy. Then she looked back at Rudy and realized he was not sitting — he only had two legs.

It was love at first sight for both of them, and Kenney ended up adopting Rudy.

She assumed Rudy had a birth defect, but after a visit to the veterinarian, the vet suspected Rudy was hit by a car and the dog chewed off his own legs so he could survive.

Rudy is a happy dog and gets around as if he had four legs. Someone even attempted to donate a doggie wheelchair for him, but he would have nothing to do with it, instead choosing to get around on his own. He walks on his two front legs and the only time he has a challenge is walking on slick surfaces like linoleum or hard wood flooring. Besides that, Rudy does everything a four-legged dog would.

Kenney is passionate about rescuing animals, so passionate she has made it her life. She and her husband recue animals that need help, then get them healthy and find good homes, but Rudy is at home with Jennifer.