How a puppy is helping a bullied Aussie boy smile again

Just one look at the beaming grin on Quaden Bayles’ face as he plays with his dog Buddy, and it’s hard to imagine that he was once the target of cruel bullies.

But thanks to the special bond he’s formed with his new furry friend – who has dwarfism, just like Quaden – the five-year-old is finally smiling again.

‘Bringing Buddy into our lives has been the best thing,’ says mum Yarraka, 34. ‘He’s taught Quaden how to accept his dwarfism and given him the confidence to be happy in his own skin.’

Last year, Quaden hit the headlines when Yarraka shared a cute video of her precious boy pulling silly faces in a mirror. But the video saw him become the target of heartless online bullies, who called him an ‘ugly kid’.

‘It’s just heartbreaking,’ his mum told New Idea at the time.