You'll Never Forget This Unique German Shepherd

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A rescued dog is capturing the hearts of animal lovers around the world because of his unique appearance.

When you look at Quasimodo head on, he looks like the typical German Shepherd.

But the minute he moves, you see he is a very special dog.

"It's called short spine syndrome," Rachel Mairose of Secondhand Hounds said.

Quasi's shortened torso formed when his soft vertebrae compressed, causing his spine to shrink.

"It's really rare," Mairose said. "It's the 14th documented case ever."

But his rare condition has no impact on his capacity to love.

"He is just, I mean honestly, he's a lover boy and you couldn't ask for a better dog," Mairose said.

Quasi came to Mairose after living life as a stray in Kentucky.

"He's trusting when he probably doesn't have a lot of reason to be trusting," she said.

Secondhand Hounds is helping him heal. He will have several surgeries in the coming days.

"He does have ... some frostbite," Mairose said. "He has ear infections, and then his embedded collar."

The injuries were not caused by his condition, but rather the hurt that comes from not having a family.

"In general, he's a healthy dog that doesn't seem to be in chronic pain," she said.

That will soon be Quasi's past. Rachel has already heard from many people who want this dog in their future.

Quasi may not be the typical German Shepherd -- but leave it to a dog to remind us to look past appearances.

"Looks aren't everything and it's really important to get to know somebody, including a dog like Quasi," Mairose said. "And when you do, you'll fall head over heels in love."

If you want to keep up with Quasi, he has his own Facebook page.

And click here if you would like to donate to help him or other dogs that need extra attention.