This Adorable Pup Fights the Odds Against Her With Love and a Treadmill

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Meet Pegasus, the Great Dane puppy who was rescued from a backyard breeder at just 4 weeks old. She was born "double merle," which means she has two copies of the merle gene that causes white pigmentation, and in many cases, hearing and vision problems. Due to the health complications that come with reckless breeding practices, sadly her brothers and sisters died at birth or were deformed. Dave Meinert, the man who rescued Pegasus, was told she would most likely die young or become deaf and blind.

To celebrate the healthy days she had, and to track her growth and achievements, Dave documented Pegasus's life by filming her daily while working with an animal therapist using a treadmill. These daily exercises helped her to overcome her weakness as well as some of her disabilities. The time-lapse video above documents her amazing transformation, growing up from 4 weeks old to 7 months, showing her strength and determination to overcome the odds against her. The next time you hop on the treadmill, find inspiration by thinking of sweet Pegasus and her strong spirit.