© 2026 ABC News

\"He is in no pain and plays for hours,\" she added.

A few weeks after the story went viral, Steffen has now decided to house the dog herself.

\"I had no intention initially of keeping him,\" Steffen told the Southeast Missourian. \"It’s not just a decision from me. The whole rescue cannot fathom him leaving. We all fell in love with him.\"

\"PHOTO:
Rochelle Steffen/Macs Mission
PHOTO: Narwhal, a 10-week-old rescue puppy with an extra tail on his forehead, was found in rural Missouri by Mac's Mission.
>

Steffen told the outlet that the rescue organization received hundreds of applications from people who wanted to rescue the dog, but decided that the dog is no longer for sale.

She also feared the dog might be exploited.

\"If somebody is going to make money off of him, I would love to see it go toward the rescue, and save thousands more dogs,\" Steffen said, adding that she plans to train Narwhal as a therapy dog.

\"PHOTO:
Rochelle Steffen/Macs Mission
PHOTO: Narwhal, a 10-week-old rescue puppy with an extra tail on his forehead, was found in rural Missouri by Mac's Mission.
>

Mac's Mission focuses on helping dogs with deformity, clefts and trauma \"since those get euthanized far more than any others and there is a great need to give them a chance,\" Steffens told ABC News. \"We give them that chance.\"

Because the nonprofit's life-saving efforts are strictly grassroots through social media, Steffens explained that Narwhal's story getting so much attention has been \"majorly epic for so many new folks to find out about our little awesome rescue.\"

\"We really love our little Narwhal and the others he is helping here with the attention!\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/puppy-named-narwhal-tail-forehead-adopted-founder-missouri/story?id=67470618","legacySlug":"/news/story/puppy-named-narwhal-tail-forehead-adopted-founder-missouri-67470618","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"21:01","publishDate":"12-03-2019","updatedTime":"14:58","updatedDate":"12-04-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Narwhal, a 10-week-old rescue puppy with an extra tail on his forehead, was found in rural Missouri by Mac's Mission.","credit":"Rochelle Steffen/Mac's Mission","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/narwhalpuppy_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/3/2019 21:01:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":67470618,"headline":"Rescue pup with tail on forehead adopted","mediaAssetTitle":"UNICORN DOG ADOPTED","description":"The tail-like growth is about one third the size of the one on his backside. ","duration":"1:14","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/11/191113_gma_digital_narwhal_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132055565","131830882","130993584"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 8, 2026","headline":"Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","section":"News","slug":"/video/131830882","id":"131830882","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"March 12, 2026","headline":"Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","section":"News","slug":"/video/130993584","id":"130993584","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Rescue pup with tail on forehead adopted","description":"The tail-like growth is about one third the size of the one on his backside. ","duration":"1:14","uploadDate":"12-03-2019","publication":"12-03-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/11/191113_gma_digital_narwhal_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/11/191113_gma_digital_narwhal_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/puppy-named-narwhal-tail-forehead-adopted-founder-missouri-67470618"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130999943","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130971027","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Rescue pup with tail on forehead adopted","pubTime":"16:01","pubDate":"12-03-2019","modTime":"09:58","modDate":"12-04-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":67470618,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"Faith Bernstein","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Rescue pup with tail on forehead adopted","mediaAssetTitle":"UNICORN DOG ADOPTED","videoId":67470618,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/puppy-named-narwhal-tail-forehead-adopted-founder-missouri-67470618"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/67470618","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/67470618","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};