This Three-Legged Great Pyrenees Has an Incredible Story — Now He Needs a Forever Home

April 10th is National Siblings Day, so it feels like the perfect time to share the story of two Great Pyrenees, Bernie and Atticus, whose paths crossed in the most unexpected way. It began in February 2024, when Bernie arrived at a municipal animal shelter in South Carolina with an uncertain future. Found severely injured and suffering, he was placed on the shelter’s euthanasia list. Fortunately, Bernie’s story didn’t end there.

Bernie the Great Pyrenees gets a second chance

Randy and Jenna, who operate Dog Squad, a 501(c)(3) dog rescue in Greenville, South Carolina, noticed Bernie while scanning the shelter’s intake list, looking for dogs in need of rescue. The large, gentle dog had multiple wounds and a fractured humerus that would require surgery.

The couple stepped in to save Bernie, pulling him from the shelter, arranging surgery, and fostering him during his recovery. A few months later, however, complications arose when his body began rejecting the metal hardware in his leg, and veterinarians determined that amputation was the best option. 

Through it all, Jenna and Randy grew deeply attached to Bernie, and what began as a temporary foster placement soon turned into a permanent home when they officially adopted him.

Bernie adapted beautifully to life as a tripod dog, maintaining his resilient personality and gentle nature. 

Another injured Great Pyrenees enters the picture

Exactly one year after Bernie’s amputation surgery, Jenna and Randy were once again reviewing the municipal shelter’s list of dogs in need when a familiar-looking face appeared.

A Great Pyrenees named Atticus, who looked nearly identical to Bernie, had been picked up with a severe infection in his leg and a missing paw. Like Bernie, Atticus was suffering and in urgent need of extensive medical care. Sadly, he was placed on the shelter’s euthanasia list.

Dog Squad stepped in again. Atticus was taken to a veterinary specialist, where the extent of his injury became clear. The infection had spread so much that the safest option was to amputate the leg — the same leg Bernie had lost.

After surgery, Atticus moved into a foster home to heal comfortably. Once he had recovered enough, Jenna and Randy introduced him to Bernie, feeling that with such similar stories, the two dogs simply had to meet.

What happened next surprised everyone. Bernie isn’t typically fond of large male dogs, but from the moment the two Pyrenees met, there was curiosity and excitement. The dogs wagged their tails, sniffed each other, and seemed to settle into each other’s company almost instantly.

The connection was unmistakable, but no one knew why.

A DNA test reveals an unexpected family connection

As part of Dog Squad’s intake process, Jenna and Randy had Atticus’s DNA analyzed through Wisdom Panel™, a test that helps identify breed background, health, and relatives.

When Atticus’s results came back, the reason behind the dogs’ instant connection became clear: The test revealed that Atticus was not only a purebred Great Pyrenees like Bernie, but also his half-brother.

The discovery stunned everyone. “We truly could not make this up if we tried,” the team wrote in an Instagram post announcing the serendipitous DNA results. “Two brothers. Six legs total. Same breed. Same gentle souls.”

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Atticus is available for adoption 

As of March 2026, Atticus is available for adoption through Dog Squad in Greenville, South Carolina. 

He is around two-and-a-half years old and described by the rescue as “quite possibly the most affectionate Great Pyrenees you will ever meet.” Despite having three legs, he remains playful and confident, happily romping with his foster siblings before settling in for cuddles on the couch.

Atticus is house-trained, gentle, and enjoys being brushed. Although Great Pyrenees are traditionally livestock guardian dogs, he thrives as a companion who can stay close to his humans.

He has adjusted well to life on three legs and is currently awaiting a custom prosthetic limb through Charm’s Paws-Ability Fund and 3DPets.

Dog Squad says Atticus would do best in a home with experience in caring for Great Pyrenees or other livestock guardian breeds, so his new family can understand the unique needs and traits of these dogs. And if Atticus could continue having the occasional hangout with his half-brother, Bernie, after finding his forever home, that would be a wonderful bonus.

Could you be the happy ending this resilient pup has been waiting for?

Looking for your BFF?

There are tons of pets sitting in shelters and rescues, all ready to kick off their next chapter with someone who gets them. No matter what you’re looking for, there’s a pet out there who’s the perfect fit, just waiting for the chance to meet you.

Start your search on Adopt a Pet, where you can filter pets by age, color, breed, and more.

Adopt a Pet has partnered with Wisdom Panel™ to provide clearer insight into the background and breeds of pets at shelters and rescues, helping adoptable pets find homes faster. Through this program, animal welfare organizations with an Adopt a Pet account can order Wisdom Panel Breed Discovery tests at a deep discount, making DNA testing more affordable and helping them market and match harder-to-adopt pets with the right homes. If your organization has an Adopt a Pet account, learn more about the program, and complete the interest form to participate.