Liesl Wilhardt, 53, is the founder of Luvable Dog Rescue. She has saved many animals from overcrowded shelters and offered them a safe space. In 2017 she adopted a pooch who had a deformity, then five years later she adopted another dog who also has a deformity. Those two dogs have now become inseparable.
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Picasso and Newt
The first dog Liesl adopted was Picasso. Picasso is five and was born with a mouth deformity known as dry mouth. This is a condition where the bottom jaw of the animal grows longer than the top one. The condition doesn’t cause any pain, it just makes it harder for him to be adopted. Due to his deformity, his jaw grows at an angle, making the dog look like an artwork done by Picasso, hence his name.
Newt’s story is a bit different. His upper jaw is missing due to an incident at birth. Newt’s mother bit off the puppy’s top jaw. Luckily Newt survived the incident and has adapted to his condition.
It is surprising that Picasso survived as a puppy as his condition would make it difficult for him to nurse from his mother.
Liesl posts regular pupdates of the two on an Instagram page dedicated to Picasso.
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Liesl Wilhardt
Liesl Wilhardt has dedicated herself to helping all types of animals. She created Luvable Dog Rescue 22 years ago. She lives on the grounds of the shelter. She has rescued and offered a home to dogs, cats, chickens and even pigs.
Liesl spends her days feeding and caring for all the animals she has rescued. Many of the animals in her care have medical conditions or need surgery or amputations, which Liesl pays for herself. In 2021, Liesl said she has employed a total of six people to help take care of the animals. The shelter also has plenty of volunteers who walk the dogs daily. The Rescue centre also has an Instagram page.
