Twilight Sparkles: The Dog Who Doesn’t Know She’s Different
Found as a stray with special medical needs and placed on a euthanasia list, she went on to become a Puppy Bowl star — and finally found the home she always deserved.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
While watching the Puppy Bowl last November, Mandy Cotta noticed one puppy who immediately stood out from the rest. Her name was Twilight Sparkles, a 6-month-old adoptable dog with a unique appearance and an even more unforgettable personality.
That night, Twilight Sparkles — who now goes by Twilight — scored the game-winning touchdown, and Cotta was instantly charmed. To her, the little dog looked like a real-life unicorn.
A DIFFICULT START
But before Twilight appeared on TV and won hearts, she had already been through a lot. A few months earlier, she had been found as a stray in Texas along with her mother and father. The family was taken to a local shelter, but because Twilight had special medical needs and the shelter did not have the space or resources to care for her properly, she was placed on the euthanasia list.
Thankfully, Hearts & Bones Rescue stepped in before it was too late. The rescue’s founder, Whitney Fang, fostered Twilight and brought her from Texas to Brooklyn, New York, hoping to give her a better chance at finding a permanent home.
RECOVERY AND A DIAGNOSIS
In foster care, Twilight finally had a safe place to rest and recover from everything she had experienced. She was also able to get help for the seizures she had been having.
Twilight looked different from most puppies. She had a noticeable ridge on her skull and a soft tuft of blonde hair growing from the middle of her forehead. As she grew, that tuft turned into a fluffy yellow mohawk, making her look even more special.
After visiting a neurologist, her caregivers learned that her unusual appearance was caused by a congenital skull malformation. The ridge on her forehead was part of the condition, and she was also born with a brain anomaly — she was missing part of the corpus callosum, the structure that helps connect the two sides of the brain.
“Although the diagnosis sounded serious, Twilight did not let it slow her down. Her seizures were managed with medication, and she continued acting like a happy, curious and energetic puppy.”
FINDING HER FOREVER HOME
Soon, Cotta adopted Twilight and brought her home to join her four rescued dog siblings — Maya, Oliver, Rylie and Pipp. Twilight fit into the pack almost immediately, as if she had always been meant to be there.
Cotta says one of Twilight’s greatest strengths is that she has no idea she is different. She approaches life with confidence, joy and determination. Sometimes she has trouble with coordination, especially when climbing stairs or trying to get onto furniture — but whenever she stumbles, she gets right back up and keeps going, usually with a happy expression on her face.
Her family jokes that when they help lift her into the car, she looks proud, as though she completed the task entirely on her own.
A LOT TO CELEBRATE
With her first birthday coming in May, Twilight has a lot to celebrate. She survived life as a medically vulnerable stray, found safety through rescue, became a Puppy Bowl star and finally landed in a home where she is deeply loved.
Twilight is sweet, affectionate and gentle. When she wants more attention, she rolls onto her back and makes a funny little face that reminds her family of a tiny dinosaur.
To the people who love her, Twilight is far more than her medical condition. She is joyful, brave and full of personality. After everything she has overcome, she now spends her days surrounded by comfort, kindness and the family she always deserved.