Dogs are known for their loyalty and ability to form strong bonds with their owners and other animals. However, the story of two ᴅᴇꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ dogs, who have created an unbreakable friendship after being adopted by the same family five years apart, is heartwarming.
Picasso and Newt – 2 dogs with facial ᴅᴇꜰᴏʀᴍɪᴛɪᴇs, live with 53-year-old Founder and director of Luvable Dog Rescue Liesl Wilhardt on 55 acres of land at their home in Eugene, Oregon.
Picasso was adopted by Liesl in 2017 following the ᴛʀᴀɢɪᴄ ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ of his sibling Pablo. Then Newt came into Liesl’s household in 2021. Now, these two canines are virtually inseparable, according to their owner.
The 5-Year-Old Picasso Was Born With A ᴅᴇꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ Nose
He sᴜꜰꜰᴇʀs from an ᴀɪʟᴍᴇɴᴛ called ᴡʀʏᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ, which ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs one side of the ᴊᴀᴡ to develop more than the other, resulting in a ᴛᴡɪsᴛᴇᴅ look that resembles the painting made by the famous artist Pablo Picasso, hence his given name.
While this ᴀɪʟᴍᴇɴᴛ can happen to different animals and does not ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ, it ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʟɪꜰᴇ much more ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ and ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇs the pets’ chance of adopted.
The 1-year-old Newt, on the other hand, ʟᴏsᴛ his ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ᴊᴀᴡ after sustaining an ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ by his mother ʙɪᴛɪɴɢ him.
“It was a miracle that Picasso sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ being a baby because it would have been ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ for him to even ɴᴜʀsᴇ from his mother,” Liesl said, “Newt has had many more ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs, surprisingly the bigger ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs not being ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ by his ʟᴀᴄᴋ of ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ᴊᴀᴡ.”
Both of these precious dogs now live happy ʟɪᴠᴇs ᴅᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ the ʜᴀʀᴅsʜɪᴘs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ by their ᴅᴇꜰᴏʀᴍɪᴛɪᴇs.
Picasso Loved Newt From The Beginning
“Both Picasso and Newt adore people, so in public, they are very outgoing and seek attention and love to greet people.” said Liels, “Most people do immediate double takes and then sᴛᴀʀᴇ at the dogs for a while, trying to make sense of what they are seeing.”
“They are not in any ᴘᴀɪɴ; they have adapted to their physical ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs and do almost everything they want to do.”
“Picasso loved Newt from the beginning because Newt loves to play and ᴡʀᴇsᴛʟᴇ and is so good-natured. This friendship has deepened as Newt matured,” said Liesl. “I love Picasso and Newt with all my heart. They are both incredibly loving, happy, intelligent, and funny dogs.” she continued.
Liesl Wilhardt was willing to give her followers a glimpse into the life and friendship that her two ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ companions have through video clips of their daily activities, such as feeding and playing with each other, as well as hikes and harvesting berries.
Picasso even has an Instagram account, which has close to 400,000 followers.
Picasso Is Training As A Certified ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ Dog
“It is an extraordinary dog, with an exceptional temperament,” Liesl spoke in 2017, “I just fell in love with him as soon as I saw him. He is training as a certified ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ dog and also serves as a Luvable Dog Rescue ambassador.”
She said that at the time, Picasso spent his days helping those with ᴅɪsᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs or ɪʟʟɴᴇssᴇs as part of Liesl’s rescue program.
“I love this boy so much, and he’s had a ʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʟɪꜰᴇ so far. I want the rest of his ʟɪꜰᴇ to be amazing,”
Picasso and Newt’s story reminds us that no ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ life’s ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs, we can always find love and support in unexpected places.
Whether through the love of a loyal pet or the kindness of a stranger, we can always find hope and strength in the world around us.
Their bond serves as a beacon of hope for all who ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴀᴅᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ and reminds us that anything is possible with love and determination.