Rescue Dog With Rare Mix of 6 Breeds Captivates Internet: 'Born Different'

Aremarkable dog with an unconventional appearance has captured hearts as his owner continues to share snippets of his life.

22:27 09/03/2024

Just 5 years old, Chupey is a unique mix of six different breeds, including pit bull and Rottweiler. His owner simply says he was born different. With hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, his unusual looks have earned him plenty of love.

Chupey, the rescue dog who was "born different." With thousands of followers on social media, he has gained a fanbase for his delightful attitude to life.

"Chupey came to live with me because I was involved with dog rescue very heavily at the time," Kaley said. "This particular couple had called me before for a litter of puppies, but had not yet let me help them spay the mother.

"They messaged me that a puppy was born quite different than the rest, and seemed to not be growing the same way," Kaley added. "I agreed to help only if they let me get the mother spayed, and thankfully they did."

From the outset, Chupey's appearance raised questions. "We don't know the exact cause. When we sequenced his DNA, we found out he had a partial trisomy on his six chromosome," Kaley said. "However, the geneticists don't believe this causes his appearance. More and more, I am starting to believe it is a congenital pituitary issue."

The pituitary gland is a tiny but crucial organ responsible for directing various functions of the body, including growth, metabolism and reproduction. Sometimes, this gland doesn't develop properly in dogs, leaving them with developmental quirks that sometimes include not growing as they should, struggles to digest food, or other health issues.

"For the early years of his life, Chupey's differences were mostly skin-deep," Kaley said. "We spent a lot of time at the vet when he was very young, trying to run blood work and urine tests to figure out what caused his appearance."

As he grew a little older, though, Chupey developed diabetes insipidus. However, with medical support and medication, he is once again doing well.

"He does have to wear sweaters and pajamas in the winter and use quite a bit of sunscreen in the summer," Kaley said, but otherwise, his differences don't impact him hugely.

For Chupey, life is all about play and love. "All he wants to do all day is play fetch," Kaley said. "He will play until he collapses. He has toys stowed around the house and in the backyard, and he knows where every single one of them is."

Online, Chupey has developed a fan base for his endless positivity and happiness. Commenters often flood to his videos to share their support: "He's beautiful and I love him," wrote one TikTok user, while another posted: "What a precious cutie."