Many people stop for a second when they first meet Bethany. Her snout bends and droops to one side, and her teeth show in a crooked grin that looks nothing like a typical puppy’s face.

Bethany is an eight-month-old Labrador cross. By every account, that unusual face is the only thing about her that is out of the ordinary. The people who know her describe a cheerful, easygoing young dog who is waiting for a family of her own.

Her story was shared by Zoe Casey, a foster volunteer with the charity Safe Rescue for Dogs. It is not a tale of a dramatic rescue. It is about how quickly a first impression can fade.

A Snout That Bends to One Side

Bethany was born with a severe facial deformity. Her whole snout twists and sags in one direction, so her teeth stay visible even when she is completely relaxed.

For strangers, the effect can be startling, and some stop mid-step when they see her. Those who stay a little longer report something different. The face recedes, and a bright, affectionate puppy takes its place.

Video: Bethany Goes About Her Day With Her Crooked Grin

Born in Romania, Safe Before Her First Day

Bethany’s story begins in Romania. Her mother was a stray who was taken in shortly before giving birth, so the litter arrived under protection instead of on the street.

Her littermates looked the way most people picture newborn puppies, with soft, even features. Bethany’s face was lopsided from the start, and that set her apart from the others.

What Vets Suspect, and What Remains Unconfirmed

Veterinarians believe her appearance is most likely the result of a rare genetic quirk. Some suspect a touch of Pekingese somewhere in her mixed ancestry, though that is a guess and not a confirmed fact.

What is clear is that the difference is cosmetic. Vets have examined Bethany several times and describe her as completely healthy. She eats and drinks normally, and she runs and plays without limits.

A Day in the Life of an Eight-Month-Old Lab Cross

Ask her foster family about a typical day and the answer sounds like any young dog’s routine. Bethany wakes up eager, plays hard and eats with enthusiasm. A tennis ball sends her off in a happy scramble, and she is always ready for belly rubs, cuddles and the next person willing to throw a toy.

She even has one small perk that surprises visitors. Despite the shape of her snout, she does not snore.

Zoe Casey’s View From Years of Fostering

Zoe Casey, 46, has fostered rescue dogs for years and has helped many of them recover from hard pasts. That experience shapes the way she sees Bethany.

“Sometimes a facial disfigurement is not as bad as a mental disfigurement,” she says.

Her point is that the deepest damage in rescue dogs is often out of sight. Fear, anxiety, aggression and distrust of people can follow a dog who has lived through cruelty, and those problems may take much longer to ease than a physical difference.

No Hard History to Unlearn

According to the rescue’s account, Bethany carries none of that weight. Her mother was protected before the puppies were born, so Bethany has not experienced abuse, hunger or fear.

Her face is the one thing that sets her apart, and it causes her no trouble. The trouble, as the rescue sees it, lies with people who cannot get past it.

The Kind of Dog Many Families Hope For

Those who have met her say Bethany has the temperament many families look for. She is gentle with children and friendly with other dogs. She is also calm, affectionate and unusually well-mannered for a puppy.

She does not need a special arrangement or a sympathetic audience. She needs a family that will treat her like any other dog, because that is what she is.

Waiting in Norwich

For now, Bethany is waiting in her foster home in Norwich, and her story has started to travel. Part of the reason is how fast many of us judge by appearances, and how a little time with her can undo that judgment.

What a Few Minutes Can Change

The people around her describe the same shift. After a short while, the crooked grin stops registering as a flaw. What they notice instead is a wagging tail and a puppy looking up at them.

Bethany is not asking to be rescued. She is ready for a permanent home with a family willing to look past her snout, and her foster carers believe the right person will see that quickly. As of this account, she is still waiting.