When Alicia Simatos saw a picture of Sophie posted by the local Humane Society, she knew she had to find a way to bring home this little dog who had lingered in shelters for months. But it wasn't just Sophie's soulful eyes - it was the pup's cleft lip that made her beautiful to Simatos.

Sophie is part of a small group of dogs with the birth defect that have been rescued by the Cleft Lip & Palate Foundation of Smiles, a Grand Rapids nonprofit that plans to train them as therapy dogs.

Future plans include rescuing and placing more of these dogs with families whose children have craniofacial differences.

For Simatos, Sophie was an instant family member. About a week ago, she took her 4-month-old son, Michael, who has a cleft lip and palate, to meet the 5-year-old dog at the Humane Society of West Michigan. Sophie had been up for adoption there for more than a month, after being transferred from a shelter in Mississippi. Neighbors there had alerted authorities when Sophie's owners moved and left her behind.

"She climbed right into my lap," Simatos said of the 35-pound Staffordshire terrier mix called a "pocket pittie." When Michael had a baby meltdown, Sophie came closer. She didn't shy away. "She is super soft with him. She knows," said Simatos, 33, of Grand Rapids.

It's the second dog with a cleft lip and palate the new mom has adopted. Also at home is a Boston bulldog named Maggie who has proven to be a dedicated baby snuggler.

Simatos recently began volunteering for the nonprofit, which has been actively looking for dogs with cleft lips and palates that are sitting in shelters. The foundation has learned many breeders euthanize these puppies because they're considered defective. As a protective mom, that's unacceptable to Simatos. "You spend so much time advocating for your children, and nothing holds you back. But in the dog world, you put them down."

Michael's first surgery to close his lip is scheduled for January. He's got four surgeries slated for the next 18 months. Children with a cleft lip and palate can sometimes need surgeries spanning two decades.

It's important to Simatos that Michael have dogs he can have a special bond with. "You are trying to find anything you can to comfort them," she said. In later years, hurt feelings that might not be relayed to mom can be whispered to a pet.

Rachel Mancuso, the nonprofit's CEO and founder, has seen this bond in action with her two boys, 9-year-old twins who have undergone 21 surgeries each since they were born with cleft lips and palates.

She remembers the wonderment on her boys' faces when she recently brought home a Cane Corso puppy with a cleft lip and palate. "The day that I brought home Rocko, my kids looked at me and said, 'Mom, that dog is special just like me.'

"If my boys can say that, I know there are other little girls and little boys and even adults that are going to say the same thing. Right there, I said we are going to go even further with this organization. We are going to make a difference and send more joy and more comfort to those families in need."

A Group Becomes a Family

Cleft lip and palate is a common birth defect. One in every 600 children in the United States is born with the facial difference that causes early feeding and speech issues.

When Mancuso's twins were born, she was surprised to learn there wasn't a lot of specialized support for West Michigan parents dealing with that medical condition. Her early work to connect these parents took off faster than she expected.

"I just wanted to create a little group where I could talk to people," said the mother of three. But the growing interest led to the nonprofit. And Mancuso found a role she could fulfill by connecting families with education and resources to make their journey feel more supportive.

The foundation offers practical help, like the special feeding equipment many babies need. It also offers an emotional boost - children return home from surgeries to armloads of cards showing them encouragement, many from people they've never met.

"We are not just a nonprofit," she said. "We are a community. We are a family."

From Shelter Dogs to Four-Legged Family Support



The idea to rescue dogs with cleft lips and palates is a new direction for the nonprofit. Mancuso has used her black Labrador named Lady, a trained therapy dog, as a foundation ambassador. But searching out dogs with craniofacial differences is something she's committed to doing on a larger level now.

Ideally, the group wants to rescue dogs with cleft lips and get them any surgery they may need before placing them with families connected to their group. Some dogs - like Sophie, Maggie and Rocko - will be trained as therapy dogs to visit schools, children's hospitals and go out in the community.

But first they'll need their palates repaired so they can eat and drink without help. The foundation is working with area veterinarians who have agreed to do the work.

Mancuso believes the pet program is a win-win, not only for the families, but for the dogs often left behind. Now she needs to get others behind the goal. Financial support and volunteers are needed to make it a reality.

"We really want to save these dogs. They can make such a difference," she said.

To learn more about the Cleft Lip & Palate Foundation of Smiles, or to donate to its new rescue and therapy dog program, go to the website cleftsmile.org.