You don’t need anything special to be a dog lover. All you need is compassion and love for your furry friends. People from all walks of life love dogs and let their support show by taking and posting pictures of their dogs online. One person in particular, however, stands out from your run of the mill dog lover – and that person is Tyler Ford.

Tyler has Cri-du-Chat

Tyler, from North Carolina, loves dogs just as much as the next person. But, at 21-years old, Tyler is not like everyone else. He has a rare condition called Cri-du-chat. This causes him to have difficulties controlling his muscles and he is usually in constant pain from hip dysplasia. On top of that, Tyler has a sensory processing disorder. These conditions no doubt make his life very difficult, but still, Tyler always has a smile on his face.

Dogs are one of Tyler’s favorite things

Dogs are one of the things that make Tyler smile the most. So, his aunt, Christy Ford, decided to surprise him for his birthday. She wanted to get Tyler a book filled with pictures of dogs. While her goal was to put a big smile on his face, she had no idea her plan would go viral.

“To watch him endure these things day in and day out, knowing he does not have the ability to verbalize his discomforts and exhaustion, makes him nothing less than a hero in my book,” Shanda Ford, Tyler’s mom, told barkpost.com. “Nonetheless, he continues to show grace to live life to its fullest, braving each day with that contagious smile on his face.”

The inspiration for Christy’s idea

It was Tyler’s love for his two Australian shepherds Banjo and Fiddle that inspired his aunt’s special project. Tyler and his two dogs were inseparable. Additionally, Tyler never forgets any dog he meets, and a birthday book full of pictures of dogs seemed absolutely perfect for him.

Posting about the idea on Facebook

Hoping for a good response, Christy posted about her idea on Facebook. The post quickly went viral and Tyler’s family had to start a separate Facebook page, named Tyler’s PAW Strings, to handle the influx of support. This is around the time when Tyler started receiving gifts and mail from all around the world. One little girl even sent him her favorite stuffed animal.

Tyler’s PAW Strings

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Christy posts pictures of the various items, letters, and photos that her nephew has received on the page. For anyone interested in contributing to Tyler’s birthday surprise (though it is not much of a surprise anymore), there is still time. The deadline is March 30^th and you can send a photo of your dog to:

Tyler c/o Christy Ford

PO Box 1036 Trinity, NC 27370

In addition to the photo, you should put your dog’s name and breed on the back, as well as your name. For more on Tyler and his awesome birthday gift, you can visit the Tyler’s PAW Strings Facebook page.

H/T: I Heart Dogs