Two malformed dogs forged an enduring relationship after being adopted by the same household five years apart.
Picasso and Newt, two dogs with facial defects, reside with Liesl Wilhardt, the 53-year-old founder and director of Luvable Dog Rescue, on 55 acres of land in Eugene, Oregon. Picasso was adopted by Liesl in 2017 following the heartbreaking passing of his sibling Pablo, then Newt joined into Liesl’s household in 2021. According to their owner, these two dogs are now nearly inseparable.
Picasso, then five years old, was born with a malformed nose. He suffers from wrymouth, a condition that causes one side of his jaw to develop more than the other, resulting in a distorted appearance reminiscent of Pablo Picasso’s paintings, hence his given name. While this condition can affect a variety of animals and causes little discomfort, it can make living more difficult and reduces the pets’ chances of being adopted.
Newt, a one-year-old, lost his upper jaw due to an accident caused by his mother biting him.
“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,” Liesl said, “Newt has had many more challenges, surprisingly the bigger challenges not being caused by his lack of upper jaw.”
Both of these precious dogs now live extremely happy lives despite the hardships caused by their deformities.
“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 stare at the dogs for a while, trying to make sense of what they are seeing.”
“They are not in any pain; they have adapted to their physical challenges and do almost everything they want to do.”
“Picasso loved Newt from the beginning because Newt loves to play and wrestle and is so good-natured. This friendship has deepened as Newt matured,” said Liesl “I absolutely love Picasso and Newt with all my heart, they are both incredibly loving, happy, intelligent, and funny dogs.” she continued.
Liesl Wilhardt was prepared to give her fans a look into the lives and friendships of her two deformed companions by posting video footage of their everyday activities, including as feeding and playing with each other, as well as treks and berry collecting.
Picasso even has his own Instagram account, with nearly 400,000 followers.
