He Doesn’t Care for His Three-Legged Dog, but Then You See the Happy Twist

A short animated video is winning huge applause from viewers with its depiction of a three-legged dog and the bond the puppy creates with a young teenage boy.

The Present is a four-minute short film, directed and animated by Jacob Frey as a “graduate short which has been produced at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg” in Germany. The film is based on the comic strip, “Perfection,” by Fabio Coala (see below), and makes an important point: How do we define “perfection?”

The short story sees a young boy glued to his television set playing video games when his mom returns home with a present for him. Excited the boy opens the box to find a playful puppy bursting with energy. Overjoyed, the boy lifts the puppy out of the box, but is quickly disappointed when he discovers the less than “perfect” dog is missing a leg.

How does the puppy win the boy over? And what ironic twist awaits at the end? You’ll have to watch to find out! But be warned: Happy tears are sure to flow.

According to the film’s Facebook page, The Present won more than 50 awards and has been screened at over 180 film festivals worldwide. It’s clear to the millions of viewers who have watched this touching short, that, like beauty, perfection can take many forms.