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Founder Rochelle Steffen built and established the non-profit organization Mac’s Mission, almost eight years ago in the state of Missouri. The shelter made it their pursuit to adopt and rescue dogs with special needs.

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Mac’s Mission welcomes all varieties of dogs in the shelter regardless of their breed. Amazingly, their newest family member captured the attention of the netizens and became viral. The celebrated two and a half-month-old Dachshund-mix named Narwhal took social media by storm.

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The puppy Narwhal has a peculiar tiny tail growing out of its head. The canine found his way to Mac’s Mission on Saturday after rescuers found him in a rural area in Missouri with a bigger dog a day prior. Rochelle back then cannot believe her eyes when she saw Narwhal on the picture but became so excited when she finally met him on Sunday.

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Rochelle took the adorable puppy to Cape Small Animal Clinic for a quick routine check to confirm he’s in good health. The vet of 16 years, Dr. Brian Heuring, found the dog astonishing as he never saw one like him before.

Dr. Heuring mentions that a natural mutation during inception likely induced the tail to grow on Narwhal’s head. The same phenomenon produces extra toes and cleft palates on some animals, but the principal cause is hard to identify. Triggers range from environmental factors to toxins; the parent animal got in contact during pregnancy.

 

Dr. Heuring added that there is no medical necessity to remove the tail as it does not connect to any part of the animal’s skull. X-ray results show no problem in the head area of Narwhal. The doctor believes this rare oddity can be a great way to inspire people that being different is okay.

Narwhal’s videos and photos received great admiration and success online. Some even dubbed him as the “unicorn puppy,” and posts about him garnered multiple shares. The tremendous response equaled several inquiries for adoption, although they cannot say when Narwhal will be available.

Thanks to our friends from USA Today for posting the original story.

 

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