Two malformed dogs have become great friends after they were both adopted by the same family five years apart.
Founder and director of the Luvable Dog Rescue, Liesl Wilhardt, 53, has provided an insight inside Picasso and Newt’s unshakable bond.
Both canines have facial defects and live with Wilhardt on 55 acres of property at their house in Eugene, Oregon.
Liesl adopted Picasso back in 2017 following the tragic demise of his sibling – Pablo – and then adopted Newt in 2021, and shortly after the two became inseparable.
Founder and director of Luvable Dog Rescue, Liesl Wilhardt (left), 53, shared a look into Picasso, and Newt’s unbreakable friendship. Both dogs (right) have facial deformities and live with Wilhardt on 55 acres of land at their home in Eugene, Oregon
Picasso, who is five years old, was born with a deformed nose, while one-year-old Newt sustained an accident by his mother biting him, leaving him without an upper jaw.
Picasso’s ailment is called a wry mouth, which causes one side of the jaw to develop more than the other, giving to a twisted look that closely mimics the pieces of art made by his namesake, Pablo Picasso.
The medical ailment may happen to a number of different animal species as well as dogs and doesn’t cause any discomfort – but it does make it tougher for pets to be adopted.
Despite everyday hardships as a result of their abnormalities and Newt’s medical concerns, the duo now lead extremely happy lives.
Her fans were given a look into their bond through a series of clips from their day-to-day routines, such as feeding and playing with each other, as well as hikes and harvesting berries.
Check out the heartwarming footage below:
“It was a miracle that Picasso survived being a baby because it would have been very hard for him to even nurse from his mother,” said Liesl
“Newt has had many more challenges, surprisingly the bigger challenges not being caused by his lack of upper jaw.”
“Both Picasso and Newt adore people, so in public they are very outgoing and seek attention and love to greet people.”
Many cats and their litters have been taken in by the rescue organization, while Liesl herself has adopted 10 dogs and has even taken in an orphan pig.
The majority of the pups come from California’s overcrowded shelters, where there are much more animals than there are homes for them, and Picasso is no exception.
It takes many hours a day for the dedicated animal lover who resides on the site where the center is located to prepare meals, feed the animals, and clean.
Realizing she had fallen in love with Picasso, she realized she wanted to keep him as one of her own. Now Picasso spends his days helping those with disabilities or ill as part of Liesl’s rescue program. Pictured: Picasso interacts with a woman in a wheelchair as part of the program
A large number of the dogs are ill and require surgery or amputations, which she covers.
As of 2021, Liesl said that six full-time employees assist her care for the animals, with each of them leading the dogs on daily treks.
Every day, a different group of people comes to the shelter to play with the pigs, take care of the dogs, and interact with the cats and kittens.
