Should You Choose to Rescue a Pet or Buy from a Breeder?

Despite an upsurge in popularity in recent years, many prospective pet owners remain hesitant about whether to rescue an animal from a shelter, or purchase a puppy from a breeder. Often, rescue dogs have uncertain or traumatized pasts, and their breed heritage is unknown, which can be slightly worrying, especially to first-time dog owners.

The Tale of Cherry: The Cleaning Prodigy

What if, however, you rescued a dog that just happened to be a dab hand at cleaning and tidying? In a video posted to the TikTok page @cherry_thelittlehelper, which has been viewed over 2.8 million times, Cherry, the polydactyl papillon and corgi mix rescue dog, can be seen helping her owner place a rug on the floor by taking a corner in her mouth and positioning it perfectly flat. “Wow! It’s been a [year] & a month since we had her. I was filming my clean with my YouTube video, brought the carpet in & she did this. This was the first dog we adopted, and she has come [a long] way,” reads the caption.

The Journey of Cherry: From Kenya to Viral Fame

In her Instagram caption, it is revealed that Cherry was rescued from the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA) in the Kenyan city of Mombasa, Africa. This heartwarming tale of an adorable and talented rescue dog showcases the incredible potential that lies within shelter animals.

The Unusual Marvel of Polydactyly

Maybe one of the reasons Cherry is so good at helping with house chores is because of her condition. Polydactyly is when a human or animal is born with an extra toe or toes, often due to a genetic variation but sometimes through selective breeding. It is more common in dogs than cats. “It doesn’t often happen in dogs except in a few breeds where it is encouraged through breeding (Great Pyrenees and Australian shepherd dogs),” reports pet advice site Wag! “It is also quite rare to have both the fore and hind limbs affected although, again, there are exceptions such as the Norwegian Lundehund. Most of the time the extra toe is not jointed and is mostly soft tissue with some bone. It only becomes a problem if it catches on things causing injury. Polydactyly is a rare occurrence where your dog is born with an extra toe or toes.”

The Advantage of Extra Toes

Wag! says that, with breeds of dog that work on snow or uneven ground, “it is even considered an advantage to have extra toes.” Canines have four toes on each foot on average, whereas humans, primates, bears, bats, and other animals have five as standard. As well as the occasional anomaly of an extra toe, all dogs are born with dewclaws on their front legs, and some on their back legs. This is the small extra non-functional claw slightly higher up the foot that doesn’t touch the ground.

Understanding the Evolutionary Background

Despite being non-functional, dewclaws “really are an interesting bit of evidence of the distant evolutionary past of the species,” said Psychology Today. “Some 40 million years ago, there was a tree-climbing, cat-like animal known as miacis, which was an early ancestor of our modern dogs. Obviously, if you climb trees, having five toes is an advantage. However, miacis eventually evolved into the ground-dwelling species cynodictus.” The dogs we know and love today then became specialized social hunters, who no longer needed the fifth toe as much as their ancestors. “As hunters of fast-moving prey, speed became an important factor. Today’s dogs are a cursorial species, which means that evolution has adapted them to be swift runners,” added Psychology Today.

The Power of Rescue Dogs

The story of Cherry, the cleaning prodigy with polydactyly, is just one example of the incredible abilities and talents that rescue dogs can possess. These animals, despite their unknown backgrounds, can bring immense joy, love, and unexpected surprises to their owners’ lives. TikTok users have fallen in love with Cherry’s adorable video, showcasing the unique bond between humans and their four-legged companions.

Share the Love: Showcasing Your Pet’s Talents

TikTok users have poured their hearts out, expressing their own stories and admiration for Cherry and animals in general: “That’s adorable! My dog helps by peeing on every new rug I try to put down! Good thing I love him!” wrote one user, while another commented, “Animals are the best.”

Share Your Pet’s Tale with Newsweek

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.