Narwhal the dog (born September of 2019), whose full name is Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn, is a puppy from Missouri with a tail growing out of its forehead. ^[1][2]

Narwhal was found in the freezing cold and almost succumbed to frostbite on one paw. He was rescued and taken in by the nonprofit organization, Mac's Mission. Other than the minor frostbite and a simple case of worms, Narwhal was given a clean bill of health. Within days of his rescue, Mac's Mission received over 70 adoption applications for Narwhal. ^[1]

Narwhal was found with an older dog who is assumed to be his father.

He was a Dachshund Terrier mix named Poppa Smurf. Because of their association, Narwhal is believed to be a Dachshund mix. ^[3]

Veterinarians took X-rays and found that the tail isn't actually connected to anything. It doesn't have any real use, but it isn't causing Narwhal any pain so there's no reason to have it removed. No, it doesn't wag. ^[1]

On December 3rd, 2019 Mac's Mission officially announced that they would be caring for Narwhal.

While Narwhal received over 300 applications for adoption, the founder of Mac's Mission Rochelle Steffen, was alarmed by a couple of death threats and nasty comments that were posted online. She felt that the organization couldn't properly vet all the applicants and decided it was in Narwhal's best interest to stay with the shelter. ^[12]

Mac's Mission also had to ramp up security and set an "appointments only" rule because people kept showing up to see the dog. Steffen was worried that people would only be interested in making money off the dog, she said: ^[12]

Steffen also shared that people have made substantial offers in a bid to adopt the dog, but they've all been turned down.

The shelter plans to use him as a spokesdog for a "different is awesome" campaign and eventually train him as a therapy dog. ^[12]

Mac's Mission's former treasurer, Elizabeth Hann, is awaiting trial for allegedly stealing $120,000 from the organization. ^[12]