It can be easy to think that just because something looks different, there is also something wrong with it.
But as we’ve seen so many times before, differences are what make life so beautiful and worth living.
When it came to one special dog, most people missed out on adopting an incredible animal all because they thought that his strange looks meant that he was sick.
According to The Dodo, when Toni Cusson and her husband saw this unique little puppy, they just knew that they had to have him.
They promptly adopted him and named him Mr. Cornelius.
But just to make sure that Mr. Cornelius didn’t have any major health issues that she should know about, Toni decided that she would do some research of her own to find out why her new pup looked so strange.
The first result that came up when she typed in Mr. Cornelius’s strange features was albinism.
She researched this further and ultimately decided that that wasn’t quite what was going on with her dog.
She kept digging and then came across another potential cause.
This one was called leucism.
The two conditions were similar but had some distinct differences.
According to sciencemadefun.net, “Albinism is a condition in which there is an absence of melanin. Melanin is what is present in the skin and is what gives skin, feathers, hair, and eyes their color. Vertebrates with albinism are not only white (or sometimes pale yellowish) in color but they also have very pale eyes, often pink or red in color as the blood vessels show through.”
“Leucism,” on the other hand, “is only a partial loss of pigmentation, which can make the animal have white or patchily colored skin, hair, or feathers. However, the pigment cells in the eyes are not affected by the condition.”
So that was it.
Mr. Cornelius had leucism.
Which also meant that he was totally healthy.
And just like any other dog, Mr. Cornelius has some funny quirks and traits that make him even more loveable.
According to The Dodo, Mr. Cornelius is a huge fan of baths.
He loves taking baths so much that when he goes over to friend’s houses, the first thing that he’ll do is go and find their bathroom, jump into the bathtub, and wait for someone to come and turn on the faucet.
Not only that, but Mr. Cornelius also loves all things orange.
There is something about that color that draws him in and he just can’t seem to get enough of it.
The final thing that sets Mr. Cornelius apart is the fact that he hates every single other dog that he comes into contact with except for one–his big sister, Bowie.
The two of them are inseparable.
And although Mr. Cornelius looks grumpy all of the time, he’s actually quite happy and kind.
Toni admits that “I mean, he’s not always grumpy. I just have a really good eye for catching him when he’s grumpy.”
This is a great example of why we should never judge a book by its cover.
There are so many great qualities about Mr. Cornelius that would have gone unknown if no one had ever adopted him based on his looks.
So the next time that you come across something that looks different, try not to judge it.
Because if it weren’t for differences, nothing would be special in this world.
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