When many people pick out a new pet to bring into their home, they look for a cute dog or cat. However, Heather Hernandez is committed to helping pets with various types of imperfections that otherwise may be unwanted and euthanized as a result to find their forever homes.
She came across a true challenge when Toad was brought into her life. Toad is a mixed breed who was born with two mouths.
Heather’s nonprofit animal shelter, Mutt Misfits, works with dogs and cats that have physical imperfections, such as from injuries or birth defects. However, most of these are not as significant as Toad’s birth defect.
When Heather first met Toad, she thought that he had a growth on the side of his head that was perhaps an extra ear. As is typical for new animals that are brought into her shelter, she took Toad to the vet to get a spay surgery
When Toad was under sedation, the vet had an opportunity to get a closer look at this deformity, and he was shocked by what he found. Heather Hernandez told KFOR Oklahoma City that, “It sounds like something from a science fiction movie.”
Toad had a second mouth that was located in the space where her ear should be. The mouth was turned inward, but it had a full set of teeth and was fully capable of salivating. It is possible that the birth defect developed when Toad and a sibling morphed together in the womb.
