The condition is so rare that published data do not include an estimated percentage of the pet population with the condition. Veterinarians see it once in a 30-year-old career, if at all, said San Bernardino veterinarian Marc DiCarlo. In humans, it occurs in three out of 100,000 people. "I just felt he was a very adoptable dog," said Sharon Blechinger, director of the Helping Every Animal League, a nonprofit support group that helps pay for vaccinations at the San Bernardino shelter.
Blechinger paid for Red's surgery out of her own pocket, because the organization couldn't afford it and because the dog "is in this position through no fault of its own. I didn't want them to put the dog to sleep." Red was brought to the San Bernardino City Animal Shelter about a month ago by someone who found him wandering the streets. No one has claimed him. A kennel supervisor at the shelter, described the dog as bright, alert and responsive when he first examined him. But he said upon examination, Red did not look anatomically correct.
Di Carlo diagnosed the dog as a pseudo-male hermaphrodite. Genetically male, the pooch was born with partially formed male and female parts. Shelter workers then contacted Blechinger, who arranged for a foster home for Red and paid for his surgery. Last Friday, James Felts, a veterinary specialist from Orange County who was told about Red by DiCarlo, performed the 90-minute surgical procedure. And now he's recovering in his temporary home.
With news video.
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