An animal rescue center in the US has taken a puppy wearing a dog's tail on his face. The team of "Mac's Mission" specializes in dogs with special medical features. On his Facebook page, it has posted pictures and videos of the new entry.
Numerous US media took up the entries. "I do not know what it means to go viral," the organization later posted on behalf of the dog. "But I'm thrilled to be a figurehead for being special, being great." The attention that the dog gets helps his conspecifics.
"Mac's Mission" christened the puppy "Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn". Translated: "Narwhal, the little magical furry unicorn." Narwhales are characterized by the fact that a long tusk protrudes from their head, which is why they are sometimes referred to as unicorns of the oceans.
Narwhal the dog was discovered on Saturday in the small town of Jackson in the US state of Missouri in the cold and was taken up by "Mac's mission". He had frostbite on his feet and needed medical treatment.
No bone, no tail waving
Narwhal is in good shape compared to the other dogs in the detention center, the Washington Post reported after talking to Rochelle Steffen, founder of Mac's Mission.
The animal rights activists assume that the puppy is about ten weeks old. It is probably a hybrid of Dachshund and Golden Retriever. From the Dachshund Narwhal had his short legs, the structure and color of the fur and the head shape reminded of a retriever.
The extra tail does not seem to bother the puppy. A video shows him happily trying to grab his hands and play with a cuddly toy. The treating veterinarian, according to "Washington Post" assumes that the additional body part does not affect the life of the dog.
Narwhal's extra tail does not contain any bone, so the animal can not wag it. Why he sits in such a strange place, can not be said with certainty. According to Narwhal's veterinarian, fetal resorption could be the cause of carnivores.
"He is perfect as he is."
In the process, a fetus decomposes in the womb at an early stage of pregnancy, when no bones have yet formed. The remains are not excreted, but absorbed by the body of the mother or of a twin. The phenomenon is also known as "Vanishing Twin" - as a "vanishing twin".
Ten to fifteen percent of dog fetuses are affected. Experts believe that the mechanism serves to prevent an abortion of all puppies in the body of a dog's mother.
Regardless of whether the fetal resorption has actually led to Narwhal's tail, the dog should retain its trademark. There are no plans to remove the tail, said Steffen. "Narwhal is perfect as he is."
