While most dogs looked pretty similar; one tail, four legs, two ears, one particular pup has recently stood out. There is a small dachshund mix who has a tail attached to his forehead. The tail does not wag, so the extra appendage just hangs down his head almost like a horn, but it’s more droopy than a horn. This extra tail is how the Unicorn Puppy got his name.

His name is Narwhal because of the little tail on his forehead which makes him look kind of like a narwhal. The tail does not wag, so it is just for show – though no one knows how it got there, but they have some guesses. Researchers say that the tail might be from a twin of Narwhal’s who did not make it. Narwhal is just a normal puppy –  with the exception of the tail on his forehead. He still plays and nibbles and eats just like a normal puppy. He was found on the side of the road by a Missouri race group who then took him in. When he was rescued, he was about 10 weeks old and weighed 4.4 pounds. His extra tail is about one-third of the size of his actual tail.

The organization that’s caring for Narwhal is a Jackson, Missouri.- based organization, known as Mac’s Mission, which is founded by Rochelle Steffen. Mac’s Mission mainly focuses on “special needs” dogs that require extra medical care due to birth defects, injuries, or abuse. The Mac’s Mission staff has seen very severe cases of pets who’ve been shot, run over, or even abandoned. The staff helps the pets get proper treatment and help them find permanent homes that they can live in. 

Narwhal has not been adopted yet, so he is staying with the Rescue Shelter until he can officially get adopted. Although more than 300 people have offered to adopt him, that is too many people for Narwhal to get adopted by, and they need to make the best choice. Until Mac’s Mission can decide who is best to adopt Narwhal, he will be staying with the Rescue Shelter for now.

References

Baron, Martin, editor. “Meet Narwhal, the rescued ‘unicorn’ puppy with a tail on his face,” The Washington Post, 13 November 2019.  www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/11/13/meet-narwhal-rescued-unicorn-puppy-with-tail-his-face/.

Stump, Scott, Author “Shelter says it will keep ‘unicorn’ puppy, despite hundreds of adoption offers,” Today.com, 13 November 2019. www.today.com/pets/unicorn-puppy-2nd-tail-his-face-rescued-shelter-t167094.