Lieutenant Dan (Lt. Dan) was found on the side of the road in North Carolina in May 2017.
Named after the character Lieutenant Dan Taylor from the film Forrest Gump, Lt. Dan the dog is paralyzed in both hind legs. But that doesn’t stop him from running and playing with the help of his wheelchair.
Everyone who knows Lt. Dan knows that he is a very special dog with a unique story. We’re proud to say that this special pup became the one millionth dog tested with Embark.
Photo courtesy of Rick Miller
Lt. Dan’s story
Fortunately, Lt. Dan was rescued from the roadside and soon found his forever home. He was adopted on May 19, 2017 and started a new life with the Miller family in New York.
“He came into our lives thanks to the kindness of someone who found him,” Rick Miller says.
“Dan is one of the happiest dogs I’ve ever met,” Rick adds. “He thinks that every person and animal he meets is his best friend. People who know Dan come up to me and tell me what an inspiration he is to them, as he is so happy and full of life while coping with a significant disability.”
Photo courtesy of Rick Miller
“What’s amazing is that he doesn’t know he is different from any other dog when he is in his cart,” Rick says.
Lt. Dan’s Embark results
Curious about Lt. Dan’s DNA, Rick purchased the Embark Purebred Test.
The Embark test revealed that Lt. Dan is, in fact, a single-breed German Shorthaired Pointer. German Shorthaired Pointers are highly intelligent hunting dogs as well as energetic, family-loving companions.
Lt. Dan’s Embark results.
The Embark test also revealed that Lt. Dan has one copy of a variant associated with low ALT levels. ALT is a key indicator of liver health. Because Lt. Dan likely has lower-than-average resting ALT activity, an increase in ALT above this level could help his veterinarian monitor and catch future liver health issues.
“I really appreciate what Embark offers for dog parents wanting to know more about their dog’s genetic information,” Rick says.
Get started with Embark
Ready to find out what your dog’s DNA says about them? Get to know your dog even better with an Embark Dog DNA Test.
Embark Breed + Health Test
- Regular Price
$199
- Sale Price
- $139
Embark Breed ID Test
- Regular Price
$129
- Sale Price
- $99
We’ve tested over two million dogs, and that means a lot of one-of-a-kind names. Read more about dogs like Mason Mason and Bamm-Bamm, and check out the top dog name trends we’ve found among Embarked dogs.
