Quasimodo, a purebred German shepherd with short spine syndrome, is gaining fans online with his story.
On Monday, Secondhand Hounds updated Quasi’s 50,000 fans on Facebook on the pup’s health and medical treatments.
Quasi had his neck clipped and cleaned to help the skin heal from his collar wound and he was neutered. He will be seeing a specialist to fix what is called a screw tail, a vertebrae deformity in the tail.
The shelter first thought that he had lived his life in kennel, but the pup was later diagnosed with short spine syndrome. There are only 13 dogs in the world known to have the disorder.
“Quasi is missing a couple of vertebra in his back, but that is not causing him pain. His back cannot be surgically repaired,” the shelter wrote on Facebook.
Quasi was also seen by a human geneticist at University of California, who is studying his blood to find out what causes short spine syndrome.
The dog was taken in by Secondhand Hounds, an animal shelter in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Sara Anderson, the large-breed foster coordinator for the shelter, said she was contacted to take Quasi because of her love of special-needs dogs.
Named after the “Hunchback of Notre Dame” character, Quasi is one of only 13 known dogs in the world with short spine syndrome, according to Secondhand Hounds.
“Born different but never knowing any other way, he seeks to please the people who have shown him kind hands and warm hearts,” Anderson said.
According to the shelter’s Facebook page, the shelter staff originally thought he had lived his life in a kennel, but the 3-year-old was later diagnosed with the syndrome, which is a genetic condition. Quasi is unable to turn his head, but otherwise his condition doesn’t affect his day-to-day activities.
Anderson said, “He gets around just fine and knows exactly how to snuggle to fit into a lap.”
His fan page on Facebook, “Quasi The Great” was created on Thursday to help people learn about his condition and bring awareness to dogs with special needs. His adoption journey is being documented on his page through pictures and video posts of his visits to the vet and playing outside.
“He may not be as pretty as many dogs on the outside, but his heart and soul shine through and make him one of God’s most beautiful creatures,” Anderson said.
The shelter wrote that Quasi will not be available for adoption until he is healthy and has his temperament evaluated. Those interested in adopting Quasi or one of the shelter’s 200 dogs currently available for adoption should visit the Secondhand Hounds website.
