Quasimodo was born with an unfortunate defect. He has a rare malformation of the spine, also known as a short spine. This disease makes his body arched, making him almost hump-backed, which is where the sweet pooch got his name. His case is extremely rare, as only 13 other dogs in the world are known to be affected by the same pathology.
The hunchback of Minnesota
After Quasimodo was abandoned and left on the street to fend for himself, volunteers from Secondhand Hounds came to his rescue. Despite his terrible physical condition, the German Shepherd proved to be a very sociable and sweet dog.
He was taken in by the founder of Secondhand Hounds, who fell head over heels in love with Quasimodo, who she says, ‘loves life’. After his story went viral, thousands of people offered to give him a forever home, but his current carer isn’t in a rush to part with the sweet lad.
Uncertain future
His crooked spine doesn’t only affect his looks, but is also detrimental to the poor boy’s health. Since his spine is so short, all the organs in his body are constrained. In the long run, they will wear down faster, and as a consequence, he could develop more pathologies.
This condition is thought to be due to backyard breeders and puppy farms breeding irresponsibly. This is a sad but accurate example of what can happen when breeders are not qualified, and when they raise puppies in poor living conditions.
Unfortunately, very little is known about this disease, since cases are too rare to be truly studied. However, ‘Quasi’, as he is affectionately known, is still being checked by his local vet regularly, and a vile of his blood was even sent to the University of California so that geneticists get a chance to closely inspect it. Perhaps we will know more about this strange disease in the years to come.
If you want to keep up with his shenanigans, you can follow his Facebook page!
