This little boy finally met someone that looked like him... and it was a dog!

Carter and Rowdy have a lot in common; they're great friends and love to play. They even share a rare skin condition called vitiligo. The only difference - Carter is a young boy and Rowdy is a dog.

Carter and Rowdy met in the hope it would improve Carter's self-confidence, which had taken a dive after he was diagnosed with the rare skin disease vitiligo. And thanks to the sharing of that same disease, Carter and Rowdy have become great friends!

Carter had lost confidence in himself

Carter Blanchard was diagnosed with vitiligo in 2014. The 8-year-old, from Arkansas, USA, began losing confidence in himself after the disease's trademark 'white spots' started developing around his eyes.

Vitiligo is a skin condition whereby the skin's pigment, or colour, is destroyed, often causing near symmetrically-shaped "white" marks on the body.

A chance meeting changed his outlook

Just like Carter, Rowdy has vitiligo. The condition gives him a unique appearance.

After having seen a photo of Rowdy on the internet, Carter's mother, Stephanie Adcock, contacted Rowdy's pet parent, Niki Umbenhower.

Over the next few months, the two women exchanged emails in the hope they might be able to meet in person. Living more than halfway across the country from each other, travel costs became an issue. However, thanks to some generous donations, Carter and Stephanie were eventually able to make the trip to see Niki and Rowdy in Oregon.

"It's as if they had known each other forever. Carter went into the house, took his coat off and then immediately went to Rowdy to give him a hug," said Niki.

"It was amazing to see them play together. This meeting was simply magical," she added.

How Rowdy became famous in the first place

Rowdy's picture found its way on to the internet all thanks to his unique-looking appearance. People would often stop Niki in the street to ask if they could have a photo with the gorgeous dog.

With all the attention he was getting, Niki decided to send a photo of Rowdy to a local television station to share his story. Rowdy quickly became famous across the US and hence known as the dog with vitiligo.

Rowdy also joined Instagram and quickly generated a following over 100k.

Carter's newfound outlook

The introduction between Carter and Rowdy was a defining moment for Niki. She knew at that moment she wanted to make a contribution to the way people view themselves, especially those suffering from vitiligo.

"I wanted to do whatever I could to continue helping Carter see himself like people saw Rowdy," she said.

"So I would post a photo his mom would send me alongside a photo of Rowdy and put an inspirational quote or 'congrats for getting straight A's' or something of that nature," said Niki.

The approach was a success and Carter's self-confidence took a turn for the better. 

Carter began to understand that his unique appearance was something special and that he too could contribute to educating others about vitiligo. Carter now accepts his skin as it is. He also found a friend for life in Rowdy.

Source : dailymail.co.uk