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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A pet owner has offered a glimpse of the imperfectly perfect way her rescue dog, who was born with an extra leg, enjoys her day-to-day life.
Nora the husky pitbull cross has five legs although, according to her owner, "technically she has four and only walks on three."
Speaking on a video posted to Nora's TikTok account, Norastrongarm, her human companion explained that Nora only uses her extra limb "from time to time" to help her "sit up or get up or do stairs."
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The technical term for Nora's condition is ectrodactyly, a type of split hand or foot malformation which, in the case of Nora, is characterized by the notable absence or malformation of one of her limbs, leaving her with the appearance of having two paws on one limb.
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According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 3.1 million dogs are surrendered to animal shelters in the U.S. every year. An overwhelming percentage of these canines are likely to be mixed breeds.
In a 2018 analysis of over 900 rescue dogs from shelters in Arizona and California published in the scientific journal PLoS One, researchers found purebred dogs accounted for less than 5 percent of the canine population.
While mixed-breed dogs are more likely to be put up for adoption, a dog like Nora faced an uphill battle to convince someone to take a chance on her, given her condition.
Many would have likely assumed her extra limb would be a hindrance and something that would impact her health negatively—but that is not the case.
In fact, her owner, who is an orthopedic veterinary technician, has never seen the need to have it surgically removed or treated in any way.
"It doesn't hurt her, so why put her through unnecessary pain to remove it," she wrote on Nora's TikTok account, adding that Nora had "seen the best orthopedic vets" before the decision was made.
Nora's story is one that carries two important messages. On one level, it's about the importance of giving rescue dogs and mixed-breeds a second chance at a happy life.
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Yet it's also about celebrating imperfections rather than treating them as a hindrance. Whether it's a dog born with a unique deformity or one who suffered a serious injury either by accident or due to some form of animal cruelty, dogs like Nora are deserving of love and acceptance.
Those messages certainly appear to have got through to fellow dog lovers on TikTok, who regularly engage with the videos of Nora posted to the channel.
Commenting on one clip shared with Newsweek, an animal fan said: "That is awesome and wonderful. Just to think that she can use her extra paw to 'Give you five' and to caress your face when cuddling with you."
Another wrote: "In my 54 years on this planet I've never seen this!" with a third adding: "Thank you for believing in her and giving her a chance. I appreciate you. I recognize you. Awesome human." A fourth commented: "So beautiful and a warrior" with Nora's owner responding: "She's my knight in shining 'arm'or.'
Newsweek contacted Norastrongarm's owner by TikTok and email for comment on Monday.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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