Woman Buys Dog After Breeder Discovers 'Missing Toe' on Paw (Exclusive)

A Charleston woman has gone viral for her story of buying a golden retriever that was told by a breeder was missing a toe.

In a series of photos shared on TikTok, Deanna Crowder shares how she welcomed Phoenix, a purebred golden retriever, into her home as a 6-month-old puppy.

After bringing the new limb home and taking it to a veterinarian, Crowder learned that the “missing toe” was actually the result of something called ectrodactyly syndrome, a limb abnormality that gives the feet a claw-like appearance.

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Speaking to PEOPLE, Crowder explains how she reached out to the breeder she bought her 5-year-old golden retriever from to see if they were expecting puppies soon. Two weeks later, she got a call.

“We put a deposit down on the only male available,” Crowder said. “There were two other females, but [the breeder] he called us about a week before we were due to pick up our puppy to let us know that one of the females had “a missing toe” and he couldn't sell her or do anything with her.

Because the breeder knew Crowder, he offered to give him a second puppy – the female with no toes – for $200 (compared to $1,000 for the other puppy).

“We thought about it for several days, but we knew she had to come home with us to make sure nothing bad happened to her. So we ended up with two puppies,” Crowder said.

After the first visit to the vet, Crowder and his family learned that Phoenix had a limb abnormality that required corrective surgery.

As Crowder explains in a TikTok video, the bones in the affected leg were restricted and unable to grow properly without surgery.

“Basically, what is [the surgery] they do it, they go in and they cut some of that off [malformed] “They didn't remove the bone,” she explains in the video. “The surgery was never on her leg. They told us she could live the rest of her life with her leg like that, it didn't hurt. What they wanted to fix was her leg, because there was a difference of several centimeters between the legs.”

Speaking to PEOPLE, Crowder says the abnormality is evident when Phoenix walks — though it doesn't affect his demeanor.

“She definitely has an abnormal gait with her odd limbs and claw foot,” Crowder says. “But that doesn’t stop her! She’s a lively little dog who runs around all the time… Our other dogs don’t act any different toward her or notice anything different about her.”

Crowder adds that for those looking to adopt or purchase a dog with a medical condition like Phoenix's, it's important to turn to experts.

“Definitely do your research and, most importantly, make sure you have a great veterinary medical team that is knowledgeable about the disease, surgeries and options,” she says.

“I’m so grateful to know people in the veterinary world and to be able to meet so many amazing people because of Phoenix and what we’re all trying to do for her. It’s really been incredible.”