Rescue Husky Fenix Lumiere lives with his loving human parents in beautiful southern California. He’s known for having a special walk due to a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. It affects his coordination and balance, but doesn’t cause any pain.

After Felix’s mom Zoe shared his story on social media, his cute prancing earned him thousands of adoring fans. They love that he’s not afraid to be himself, and his confidence inspires people around the world. We hope his story encourages you to show the world your authentic self as well!

“My best memory with Fenix, I’d have to say, is all the ordinary moments just day to day, getting blown away by how adorable his prance is. It never gets old; my husband and I often talk about how adorable it is,” Zoe says lovingly of the rescue Husky.

Since Felix is a rescue, Zoe says she’s unsure if he’s a purebred Husky. However, he’s definitely got the features of Huskies – the piercing blue eyes and bushy tail. They adopted Fenix when he was just 4 months old from a rescue called ‘I Stand With My Pack.’

Before that, he’d been abandoned at a kill shelter, likely because his previous owners couldn’t care for special needs pets. He would’ve been put down if the rescue didn’t intervene.

However, he still had a long journey ahead.

The rescue spent the next month taking care of him and bringing him to vet appointments. They knew he had a condition, but weren’t sure if it was parvovirus, distemper or some other virus. Finally, they discovered he had cerebellar hypoplasia, but he can still live a long, happy life. His adoptive parents have given him a second chance and make sure he enjoys every moment!

Meet Fenix the Rescue Husky Who Has a Special Walk

“We do spend a lot of time with Fenix; we take him everywhere. He loves to go in the car, even on long trips. We took him up to Truckee recently to the snow and he was great in the car for 9 hours, but mostly, he loves being outside,” Zoe says.

“He loves prancing, he loves walking; we take him for about 4 or 5 walks a day, mostly because his disability means that he can’t walk for a long time. But he loves it so much!”

Zoe added that Fenix has a goofy, fun-loving personality. She also describes the rescue Husky as being temperamental like a cat; one moment, he wants your attention and the next moment, he’s very independent. Overall, he’s a happy, silly, free-spirited type of guy. His laidback, rosy disposition also helps remind his parents what truly matters in life.

“Fenix brings so much positivity into our life. I think any dog really helps us to connect to more happiness because they have a profound gift to enjoy the little things – to be out on a walk, to be in the sunshine, to have a bone – just the ordinary, simple pleasures of life,” Zoe says.

She added that since Fenix seems so happy, it also brings them joy to know they’re adding value to his life. Not to mention, they’re both inspired by how much he’s overcome and grown through in life. The rescue husky has faced many challenges, but he continues to show up no matter what lies ahead.

For instance, many times at the dog park, the dogs don’t want to play with him since he can’t run. Even though he gets left behind sometimes, he follows them around to the best of his ability. His tenacity and self-confidence are truly inspiring!

“He just has the best attitude of any being I’ve ever met,” Zoe says proudly of her beautiful rescue Husky.

Fenix Spreads Joy Wherever He Goes

She says one of the most rewarding things about owning a dog is the cuddles. It never gets old waking up to him snuggled between her and her husband! Also, the fact that he teaches them both how to love unconditionally makes owning a rescue Husky totally worth it.

When he’s not cuddling with his mom, Fenix loves going on adventures with his dad! He also loves inspiring people online to live blissfully and not let anything stand in their way. For a dog, he makes a wonderful life coach!

Other than that, he enjoys playing with his other dog friends in the neighborhood. They often have playdates and pool parties. And thankfully, Fenix found an accepting group of friends who doesn’t judge him for his special prance. In fact, they love him for it!

He felt shy for a while because of his condition, but now, he owns his uniqueness! It took him a while, but he realized that embracing his differences helped others feel happier with themselves, too.

When he goes places with his parents, everyone loves to come say hi! They often ask about his condition and if he’s in pain; thankfully, he’s perfectly content as he is. It warms his parents’ hearts to see so many people care about him! They feel so thankful to have a rescue Husky like Fenix in their lives.

“I would just highly recommend adopting a dog from a shelter or from a rescue. There are just so many dogs out there that don’t have homes right now,” Zoe says. “And there is nothing like the reward of giving one of those dogs a home. I know when we were looking for Fenix, we just saw his photo and I started crying, because we used the PetFinder app and I knew he was my dog straightaway. And sure enough, everything happened really gracefully.”

Final Thoughts on the Rescue Husky Known as the ‘Happy Dog’

Fenix goes by the name “Happy Guy” on TikTok, and it’s very fitting for him indeed. Despite his neurological condition, he enjoys every moment to the fullest and makes so many people smile. He’s truly a special dog, and we hope his story encourages you to love yourself exactly as you are. Accepting yourself creates space for everyone around you to embrace themselves, too!