Dog With ‘Perfectly Twisted’ Face Was to Be Euthanized, but See What He’s Up to Now

Illustration - Shutterstock

This little dog had the weirdest of looks, with his mouth twisted out of proportion, giving him a silly grin. All his siblings were adopted but he wasn’t, so he was finally handed over to the shelter and slated to be euthanized—but at the last moment, a miracle happened!

Picasso, one of the puppies from a litter born to a backyard breeder, was an adorable-looking dog in all respects, except his face was twisted and he looked most unusual and abnormal. In fact, he looked just like he had stepped out of a Picasso painting. His top jaw is pushed to the side, putting his nose out of alignment as well. His teeth make it hard for him to chew.

All his other siblings were sold off by the breeder, but Picasso remained. Then one of the families who had bought his brother, Pablo, changed their mind and returned him to the breeder. Picasso was thus united with his brother Pablo. The breeder then surrendered both the siblings to the Porterville Animal Shelter in California in early 2017. Sadly, these two brothers were put on the list for euthanization.

It was then that Luvable Dog Rescue in Eugene, Oregon, came to their rescue. “I was talking to volunteer Shannon Corbit about the dogs we were receiving and just happened to ask her out of the blue if she had any unusual-looking or special needs dogs,” Liesl Wilhardt, executive director of Luvable Dog Rescue, told The Dodo.

“She responded, ‘Well, as a matter of fact, I do!’ and she sent me Picasso’s shelter intake photo. He was curled in a dog bed, and looked very sad,’” Wilhardt said. When Wilhardt was confronted with Picasso, his appearance was certainly unexpected, but her emotions were stirred. “His twisted face was startling, but he had soft and gentle eyes, and for me it was love at first sight!” she further continued. When she discovered his brother Pablo was also there and got to know that he was also about to be put down, she sprang into action.

“I could not imagine leaving the brother behind to die, so I checked with Ashley, our Luvable manager, to be sure we had the space for both, and then told Shannon to pull them off the euthanasia list—Luvable would take both boys,” Wilhardt said.

When Wilhardt posted pictures and videos of the duo online, the response was overwhelming. Many people posted comments about his different appearance and were grateful that Luvable was able to save Picasso and Pablo’s life. Others could feel empathy with Picasso because of their own deformities; even war veterans identified with him.

Shortly afterward, Picasso’s brother Pablo suffered from a brain aneurysm and died.

In March 2018, in Portland, Picasso was honored with an Oregon Humane Society Diamond Collar Hero Award. This award is given to people and animals who have done something special, a heroic deed, a community service, or have overcome incredible odds to survive.

“Picasso’s personality and temperament is just loving and accepting to all living things, despite what he’s suffered in the past,” Wilhardt said, according to the Associated Press. His gentle nature shines through, and he is more than willing to help others.

“Picasso has overcome challenges that most dogs don’t ever have to, from surviving an assaulter to living on the streets,” Wilhardt added. “And he’s done it all with courage and grace.”

Picasso was also a nominee for a 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Award, and although he was not the winner, he was certainly a winner in the eyes of many.

“He really does touch people, especially those who look a little different like him,” said Wilhardt. “Whether they were born different or had an illness or accident that led them to looking different, he’s helped and inspired so many people.” Picasso has been in training to become a certified therapy dog.

In early May 2019, Picasso was taken into emergency care as he had swallowed up plastic. He was with the emergency vet for the entire night. But according to an Instagram post that was shared on his account, with the help of Dr. Kimball and the staff at Edge Wood Animal Clinic, they were able to remove the plastic that had lodged in his stomach and intestines, and in no time, he was back home.

Picasso is indeed one special dog. “There are so many dogs out there with amazing stories, but Picasso’s is exceptional,” Wilhardt concluded. And we couldn’t agree more.

Watch the video: