10 Unbelievable Medical Procedures

1. The Haitian girl who had a 16-pound tumor removed and a entire face reconstruction

Marlie Casseus is a girl from Haiti, whose life was normal until the age of 14, when her face went completely unrecognizable and frighteningly disfigured because of a strange disease. As a result, not only she suffered physical pain but emotional anguish for being rejected by her friends and neighbors. The reason is a rare form of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, a genetic disease that causes the sufferer's bones to become swollen and as soft as jelly. Not only she suffered the deformation of her face but she was about to go blind due to the pressure of the tumor on her eye sockets.
Fortunately, the Haitian nonprofit Good Samaritan organization helped bring Marlie to the United States. And doctors at Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami could evaluate her condition. The hospital's International Kids Fund, began collecting money for her operation. Donations came from all over the world and even doctors donated their time to perform the surgery on the girl.

It took 17 hours to remove the growth of both parts of her face. Afterwards she was breathing on her own in stable condition at Holtz Children's Hospital. The surgery involved first, removing the mass of bone and jelly; then inserting metal plates to reconstruct Marlie's lower eye sockets; and finally reconstructing the interior of her nose. The photographs above show the miraculous result.

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2. The boy who got his elbow amputated and transformed into a new shoulder

In 2008, 15-year-old Tom Lemm had his arm and shoulder amputated due to a tumor. Surgeons then used bone and tissue from his lost elbow to construct a new shoulder. At the same time, a metal support plate was inserted in Tom's collar bone by Professor Simon Kay's team. This will make the boy able to wear a false arm. Tom, who lives in Pontefract, West Yorks, has battled cancer for three years, and is the first person in Britain to undergo the seven-hour procedure, and just the second ever. "I was very upset at losing my arm but then the prof told me what he planned to do. I hope the fact it has worked for me gives others hope”, he said. (Link)

3. The kid who had his broken spine rejoined

A 10-year-old boy, from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, India, fell while playing in a field and the moving blades of a tractor's harrow went over his back cutting his vertebral column into two. After five hospitals said they could not treat him, the boy was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre and operated right away. Doctors at the hospital managed to rejoin his broken spinal cord after performing a rare surgery lasting over eight hours. Nine months later, he is back on his feet and walking without help.
AIIMS Trauma Centre chief M.C. Mishra said: 'I have done extensive research and can conclude that it is a first-of-its-kind case in medical history. Such a case with sharp penetrating injury to the spine in a child causing complete breakage of the lumbar spine in two parts presenting with complete loss of power and sensations is extremely unusual and has not been reported in literature either.'
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4. The 'Tree man' who got six kilograms of warts removed

This Indonesian man named Dede, first noticed the warts on his body after cutting his knee when he was a teenager. Over time, as the horn-like extensions grew to cover most of his body, he was sacked from his job, deserted by his wife and shunned by neighbors. After dealing with this problem for over two decades, the 37-year-old man, dubbed ‘The Tree Man', went under surgery and 95 percent of the warts have been removed after nine operations. ‘He cannot be 100 percent cured, but his life quality has improved. If once he depended on others to do his activities, now he can eat by himself, use his hand to write, use the cell phone', said Rachmad Dinata, one of his doctors. The warts on Dede's body were a result of severe Human Papilloma Virus infection, according to an American doctor. And they might re-grow, but at least the disease is not life-threatening anymore. (Link)

5. The surgeon who performed a self-appendectomy

In 1921 Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane carried out his own appendectomy. He is believed to have been the first surgeon to have done so. A few years before, in 1919 he self-amputated one of his own fingers that had become infected. But it was the operation of removing his own appendix under local anaesthetic, at the age of 60, which brought him to wider media attention. Dr. Kane did this, in part, in order to experience this from the patient's perspective. He had in mind using local anaesthesia in future on patients with medical conditions that prevented a general anaesthetic being administered, and wanted to ensure that the procedure could be tolerated by the patient. Kane believed ether (the usual general anaesthetic of the time) was used too often and was more dangerous than local anaesthetics. Kane performed the operation with the aid of mirrors to enable him to see the work area. Since then the operation was rather more major than today, the incision to remove an appendix was much larger than modern keyhole surgery techniques. However, Kane was well enough to be taken home the following day.
On another occasion, in 1932 at the age of 70, Kane repaired his own inguinal hernia under local anaesthetic. The hernia had been caused by a horse riding accident six years earlier. The operation was carried out at the Kane Summit Hospital with the press, including a photographer, in attendance. This operation was rather more dangerous than the earlier appendectomy because of the risk of puncturing the femoral artery. The operation lasted 1 hour and 55 minutes.
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6. The baby that was literally born twice

When Chad and Keri McCartney say their baby Macie Hope was born twice, they really mean it. When Keri was on the 23rd week of pregnancy, she and her family went to the obstetrician's office to discover the sex of the baby she was carrying. Then, they discovered a huge tumor growing out from Macie's tailbone. She had to go on surgery right after that.
Macie's ‘first birth' happened when surgeons at Texas Children's Hospital took the tiny fetus from Keri's womb to remove the tumor that would have killed her before she was born. On May 3rd, ten weeks after that, Macie was ‘born again' and the McCartneys welcomed their surgically repaired — and perfectly healthy — baby girl into the world.
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7. The 6-year-old girl who had half of her brain removed

Jessie Hall is a 6-year-old girl from Aledo, Texas, who underwent surgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center to remove the right half of her brain and stop her seizures. She has Rasmussen's encephalitis - a progressive inflammatory disease that was destroying the right side of her brain - and is a patient of Eileen Vining, M.D., Director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center. Her surgery was successfully performed on June 11th, 2008 by world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson, M.D. The radical procedure – called a hemispherectomy – is supposed to make her seizure-free.

Jessie had her first seizure while eating a sandwich aboard a boat on Lake Texana in her home state of Texas. She had her second in kindergarten that September of 2007. Her seizures began to increase in severity and number. Her parents brought her to Hopkins Children's and into the care of its pediatric epilepsy program. (Link 1 | Link 2)
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8. The Indian girl who had four limbs removed

This little girl named Lakshmi, after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth, is a 2-year-old that was born with four arms, four legs and extra internal organs. She has been successfully operated in India. The surgery was expected to take 40 hours, but after 27 hours, the procedure was over. Doctors said that Lakshmi would not have much chance of living past adolescence if the surgery had not been done. (Link)

9. The conjoined twin girls who got separated

Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna were discharged from an Australian hospital five weeks after their separation surgery and just in time to celebrate their third birthday. The Bangladeshi-born girls had made amazing progress since the surgery and were already using walkers to move around the hospital. The girls had been joined at the top of their heads and shared brain tissue and blood vessels before their separation in a 30-hour operation involving 16 specialists. They were given just a 25 percent chance of both recovering completely.

The girls were joined by the top and back of the head, meaning they had never seen each other before.

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10. The baby who had his feet fixed in-utero

Australian surgeons saved the feet of a baby in the womb in 2008 by performing what is believed to be the earliest in-utero surgery of its kind in the world. Constricting bands were cutting off the blood to Leah Bowlen's feet when her mother was 22-weeks pregnant. Amniotic bands were cut by delicate surgery from above the ankles of the unborn baby. Amniotic band syndrome or amniotic disruption complex is a congenital limb abnormality. The condition occurs in between one in 12,000 and one in 15,000 live births. Without the ground-breaking surgery, little Leah would have been born with no feet. Now, there is only an indentation mark around her ankle to indicate the problem that was rectified. (Link)

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Bizzare Phenomena

1. Ball Lightning

This bizarre electrical phenomenon usually occurs during thunderstorms and lasts for up to thirty seconds. Balls of lightening are said to behave in strange ways, hovering, rolling, hissing and sometimes passing through walls, in a way that seems completely unnatural. As a result, ball lightening has long been associated with aliens and ghosts, and the kind of pseudo-psychic head-cases who believe they can communicate with the other side. Thousands of people throughout history have reported seeing ball lightening, including Benjamin Franklin and my grandmother, but until recently their claims were largely ignored. However, with an increasing amount of photographic and video evidence available, scientists have now begun to take ball lightening seriously and are now attempting to recreate this entirely natural phenomenon within the confines of a laboratory.

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2. Saint Elmo’s Fire

Described by scientists as a plasma phenomenon, St Elmo’s fire is caused by ionization in the atmosphere. Named for the patron saint of sailors, the phenomenon was historically witnessed emanating from the lightning conductors atop tall ships, however it can occur almost anywhere, particularly during thunderstorms. Whilst the phenomenon may appear to be flame-like when a lightening rod is it’s source, it has been more accurately described as a blue-green glow.

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3. The Goat Suckers

Goat suckers, or Chupacabras, are the hypothetical creatures blamed for a recent series of cattle mutilations in South America. In the past decade hundreds of cattle have been found mutilated across Brazil alone. Often the cattle are found to have had huge amounts of blood drained from their bodies but other signs include the removal of the jaw, tongue or anus in startling similarity to cattle mutilations in the US.

The goat sucker myth began in Puerto Rico where a series of sightings during the 1970s first made headlines. At first it seemed that goats and sheep were the only item on the menu but this soon changed when the creatures were reported in Mexico two decades later and began attacking cattle. There are a number of theories explaining the sudden appearance of this critter in South America. Perhaps the most logical explanation is that their species is native to the Amazon and that deforestation has forced them to leave the rain-forest for the first time in search of food. Another popular, if somewhat unlikely explanation is that the goatsuckers are of extraterrestrial origin, owing to the fact that goat sucker attacks often coincide with UFO sightings.

Descriptions of goat suckers vary hugely and whether they actually exist is a matter of huge debate. Many say that predatory animals could be behind the rise of livestock mutilations or blame covert government experimentation, but the truth remains a mystery.

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4. Spontaneous Human Combustion

This phenomenon is extremely rare and no plausible, scientific theory has yet been offered to explain how a person can suddenly burst into flames, but it would appear that some few unfortunate people have done exactly that.

Most deaths thought to be caused by spontaneous human combustion can be attributed to the “wick effect”, whereby a person’s body fat acts like candle wax, causing a person to burn in an intensely hot but extremely well contained fireball. Strangely, all that is left in most cases is the lower part of the victims legs, which contain little fat, and their feet, which are usually found to be still wearing slippers. This would seem to explain how homes are sometimes left undamaged after a victim’s body has been burned to cinders along with their favorite armchair. However, whilst the “wick effect” explains the way in which a human body might burn it offers no explanation for the cause of the fire.

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5. Abduction

Whilst UFO sightings vary so widely in description that would seem to defy logic entirely, the amazing commonality between individual alien abduction stories would seem to suggest that more is at work here than a few over active imaginations. Psychologists have linked abduction stories to a deep routed fear of pregnancy in both men and women, explaining why so many self-proclaimed abductees claim to have been implanted with alien fetuses. Another well established theory behind alien abduction is that strong electromagnetic fields, perhaps occurring naturally, could cause a person to suffer an epileptic fit whilst simultaneously causing nearby electrical equipment (such as car radios) to malfunction. The person would subsequently see flashing lights before blacking out. Waking up from such an experience, the word “aliens”, would surely be the first on your lips.

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6. Geo-luminescence

It would seem rattling filing cabinets, burst gas pipelines and a five-star performance from Charlton Heston and Lorne Green are not the only signs that your home has been hit by an earthquake. Survivors of epic earthquakes have often reported strange flashing lights and even upward streaking bolts of lightening in the area around the epicenter of the quake. The earliest recorded example of this phenomenon was in ancient China and even a recent mini-quake in Lincolnshire, England has people talking about strange lights and the appearance of ball lightening. Scientists have theorized that these lights are the result of geo-luminescence, a phenomenon in which rocks actually produce light when exposed to extreme pressure, and that the lightening is the result of geological friction.

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7. The Blood Monsoon

Between July 25 and September 23, 2001, it was reported that unusually discolored rain was falling in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The blood-red rain fell sporadically throughout the region and scientists rushed to the scene to analyze its composition. Upon further inspection it was discovered that microscopic particles present in the water, similar in appearance to human blood cells, were responsible for the discoloration.

Several explanations for the blood-rain were circulated, including the theory that a meteorite, which had struck the atmosphere shortly before the monsoon began, had collided with a flock of bats and sprayed their blood into the atmosphere. Perhaps the most ambitious theory was that of scientists Godfrey Louis and Santhosh Kumar of the Muhatma Gandhi University in Karela. They speculated that the contaminating cells were extraterrestrial in origin and that they had been carried to Earth by a meteorite, confirming panspermia theory. The currently accepted, however, is that the contaminating particles are a type of marine algae but Louis and Kumar maintain that the cells have “unusual properties”.

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8. The Taos Hum

The town of Taos, New Mexico, is the site of much scientific pondering. Residents in the town have long been perplexed by a distant hum, similar to that of a distantly idling diesel engine, the source of which has never been found. Strangely the sound has only ever been heard by around half of the people in the town and visiting scientists have failed to detect the sound with even the most sophisticated audio equipment. A similar hum in Hawaii has led some to speculate that it may be indicative of volcanic activity.

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9. Foo Fighters

Before the flying saucer craze of the 1950s another strange phenomenon was the subject of huge debate for the US air force pilots of WWII. Strange balls of light were spotted flying over German airspace and the Pacific Ocean at high speed, causing frustration for both Allied and Axis pilots. Both became convinced that these “fire balls” were a type of experimental enemy aircraft. The US air force became increasingly concerned at how easily the foo fighters could outmaneuver their own aircraft. Despite never engaging in combat with aircraft the foo fighters were seen as a nuisance for the way they would ‘dance’ around and fly in close formation with US aircraft. Many pilots felt that the foo fighters were teasing them in some way. The name foo fighter came from the belief that the Japanese were responsible for this high speed taunting, although sightings continued after the conflict had ended. Cylindrical and disc shaped craft were also reported in the skies over Europe.

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10. The Time Travelers

Ancient artifacts from as early as 10,000 BC have been found to show images of strange men wearing what would appear to be space suits. Sometimes alien, sometimes human, these figures are always depicted as wearing transparent helmets and can sometimes be seen to hold strange artifacts, perhaps guns or tools. Whoever these people were, are or will be, they seem to have woven their way into the cultures of ancient people across the world, appearing in cave drawings, Egyptian hieroglyphs and religious idles. Images of flying saucers, airplanes and helicopters have also been spotted on Egyptian artifacts, causing much head scratching amongst archaeologists. Was this prophecy, alien contact or will we one day develop the ability to travel through time?

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World's Youngest...

1. World's Youngest Granny (25yr)

A 25-year-old Romanian housewife could be getting a grand old honor: She's believed to be the world's youngest grandmother. The British tabloid The Sun reports that Rifca Stanescu had her first child, a daughter named Maria, at the age of 12. Although she urged the girl not to follow her example, Maria got in the family way when she was only 11 and gave birth to a son, Ion. Stanescu was only 23 when she became a grandmother. Ion's now 2, and Stanescu has mixed feelings about being a grandmother at such a young age. “I am happy to be a grandmother but wished more for Maria,' she said.

2. World's Youngest Yoga Teacher (6yr)

At just six, Shruti Pandey is the youngest yoga trainer in the world. The bendy youngster has been teaching adults at an ashram, in northern India, for the last two years. Her trainer, Hari Chetan, 67, set up the ashram 35 years ago and as soon as little Shruti became one of his students, as a tiny four-year old, he spotted her talents. Now she starts her classes at 5.30 am every morning, at Brahmanand Saraswati Dham, in the Jhunsi town, dressed in white leggings and a red t-shirt surrounded by 30 eager pupils ranging from businessmen, teachers, housewives to pensioners. Shruti said: "It feels good when people follow my instructions, I feel like a real teacher."

3. World's Youngest Transsexual to have Surgery (16 yr)

German teenager Kim Petras has become the world's youngest operated transsexual after undergoing a surgery at the age of just 16. The procedure – carried out in secret and paid for by the German health service – was authorised after psychologists confirmed that she was "without doubt a girl in a boy's body". It is the world's youngest ever full sex change operation and Kim had been undergoing hormone therapy since the age of 12.

Kim overcame years of taunts and bullying to achieve her dream of becoming a girl and has begun a modelling career and launched a CD.
Kim, who is now studying fashion design, began calling herself a girl when she was just two years old.

4. World's Youngest Wall Of Death Motorbike Rider (17yr)

A 17-year-old girl left school to land her first job as the world's youngest female Wall of Death rider - without a motorbike license. Jaimi Tyrrell joined a troupe of stunt riders after completing her GCSEs and now tours the UK and Europe. The daredevil teen hits speeds of up to 45mph on the vertical 20ft high wall as she rides horizontally around the 32ft wide cylinder.

Performing under the name Jaimi Starr, she cannot wear a helmet as this would affect the drag and she must keep a constant speed to beat the gravity that would otherwise pull her down. Jaimi insisted she had no regrets about her career choice and said she was attracted by the 'exciting' lifestyle of a stunt bike rider.The teenager was introduced to the motorbike world by family friend Ken Fox who runs the Ken Fox Troupe stunt riding show.

NOTE: our reader Nathan H. wrote to let us know that: "The Fearless Flores Family has an 8 year old, and a 13 year old... its not the wall of death, but its the globe of death... they're on America's got talent". Take a look at the video:

5. World's Youngest CEO (14yr)

Sindhuja Rajaraman, a 14-year old girl has become the world's youngest Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The ninth standard student became the head of Seppan Company, an animation firm, in October 2010, set up by her father.

She was adjudged the fastest 2D and 3D animator by software lobby NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) at the Gaming and Animation Conclave 2010 held in Hyderabad. Rajaraman said: "I am just proud to be an animator. The CEO is just a post given in this company. I am learning animation for this CEO post to make myself worthy for the CEO post. There is no age bar or age limit for animation. Everybody can do animation". "The scope for animation in India is growing every day. There is going to be a big boom in India and all industries are into the animation, they need animation and multimedia. I am enjoying work and I am also getting challenging works" she added.

The company has 160 employees.

6. World's Youngest Surfer (2yr)

Jaylan Amor is only two years old, but is already surfing the waves outside of Brisbane, Australia, and has secured multiple endorsements from surf shops. To catch a wave, his dad paddles him out to sea, then the two year old hops and rides the waves back into shore. Mr Amor isn't worried if Jaylan falls, as the tike just swims back to his board and waits for daddy to help him back up.

7. World's Youngest Tattoo Artist (4yr)

Ruby Dickinson is only four years old but she is already marking her mark in the world – with tattoos. The ink-credible Welsh toddler may be the world's youngest tattoo artist, according to published reports. At an age when most kids only think about playground swings, Ruby takes tattoo lessons after nursery school. She also practices with a toy kit in her father's tattoo shop.

8. World's Youngest Sake Expert (10 yr)

A 10-year old-girl has become Japan's youngest expert on Sake, despite being far too young to drink the famous rice wine. Akane Niikura has passed the Sake Service Institute of Japan's test after earning her expertise on the ancient Japanese tradition solely through her sense of smell rather than palate. The fourth-grader can now advise others which type of sake complements certain foods.

9. World's Youngest Practical Shooter (6 yr)

At the age of six, Miko Andres from the Philippines is thought to be the world's youngest competitive practical shooter. Practical shooting is a sport in which participants shoot rapidly at multiple targets around an obstacle course. His father says:
“As a growing, normal kid, Miko is also into other children's games. He enjoys the company of his schoolmates. He has been taught a lot of discipline and respect. Miko, I and his team coach, constantly talk about the dangers of the sport and we are always reminding him that he is in a ‘big boys' game and that safety is of the utmost importance.”

10. World's Youngest IT Whiz (8yr)

Marko Calasan of Skopje, Macedonia, is the world's youngest certified computer system administrator at the age of eight. He could get a high-paying job, but he hasn't yet completed third grade! Marko learned to read and write at the age of 2 and started working on computers immediately. The news of his extraordinary achievement turned him into a local celebrity and he has even had an audience with the Macedonian Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, who presented him with an IT lab with 15 computers to practice on.
His parents, who are IT experts and run a computer school for children, are considering sending Marko abroad to a specialized institute of learning for gifted children, as none exists in Macedonia. Marko passed Microsoft's tests for IT professionals. He says he wants to create a new operational system for computers …when he grows up.

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12 Most Amazing Daredevil Pictures

This skier really meant it when he said he was going off-piste as he leapt off a mountain cliff face and landed safely 600 feet below. Daredevil Tomas Bergemalm, 35, decided to try the extreme drop as one of his last challenges before spending more time with his wife and family. And luckily for his beloved Fia and their young son Noah, he managed to pull it off and made it home without a scratch. The breathtaking stunt was a culmination of Mr Bergemalm and photographer Patrik Lindqvist's vision to push the sport of skiing to its limits.

Standing atop Brazil's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in January 1999, stuntman ‘Fearless Felix' Baumgartner braced himself for what was to be the world's lowest BASE jump at 29 metres (95 feet). When he stepped off the edge, split seconds would extend as Rio de Janeiro opened up before his eyes. Those who make jumps that fall into the highest category may win more plaudits as well as freefall time, but it's the lower jumps that are more dangerous because there is so little time for the parachute to open. 

Bollywood's versatile actor Ajay Devgan has once again proved that he is the best. The actor has done a daredevil stunt, and broken all his past records in his upcoming flick ‘All The Best', along with his co-actress Billo Rani 'Bipasha Basu'.

‘All the Best' is from the house of ‘Golmaal Returns', that itself was well known for its stunt gimmicks. In the shot, Ajay proposed the leading lady Basu by giving her a rose from a car that is rotating sideways in mid-air.

Eskil Ronningsbakken performs a handstand over a dramatic drop bizarrely as part of a Norwegian TV campaign about risk-taking. 

Snake man. 

Spiderman jumps on moving BMWs.

 

Ivan Unger and Gladys Roy playing tennis on the wings of a flying airplane in 1927.  

A man who is not afraid of heights.  

These riders have taken horse racing to new limits - by racing each other through the waves on surf boards attached to their horses' saddles. Just a short cord attaches the surfer to the horse and rider - who can travel at speeds of up to 35mph through the waves. Daredevil surfers and riders have even taken to racing each other through the surf in beaches in Baule, on the west coast of France.  

Crash and it means doom. Survive and you go down in history as the tamer of one of the biggest, heaviest and most fearsome barrels ever ridden. Sydney daredevil Mark Mathews lived to tell the amazing tale of his 15 second joyride on a monster wave in shark infested waters, 20km off the West Australia coast.

Mathews waited almost six hours for the wave that surfing legend Barton Lynch believes is the heaviest barrel ever ridden.  

A star of the ‘Golden Age of the American Circus', Bird Millman is the most fêted female high-wire performer of all time. Born in 1890, the Colorado native had entered big-time vaudeville by the age of 14, playing with her parents as part of the Millman Trio. After a virtuoso performance before the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II in Berlin, her act returned to the US as Bird Millman & Co, where she added the New York Hippodrome and Palace Theatre Broadway to her list of credits.  

Germany's Anna Bader diving in Dubrovnik in 2009, where the divers were really challenged when they had to complete eight consecutive dives from 26 m (85 ft).  

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Weirdest Dog Breeds Ever

1. Puli

The Puli is known for its tight dreadlocks that make it look like a mop, but the dreads also stop it from shedding and make it waterproof. While no one knows exactly where pulis come from, there are indications that ancient Romans owned similar dogs and there is some evidence that shows the breed is over 6,000 years old. What is known is that they could be found in Asia over 2,000 years ago and were introduced into Hungary 1,000 years ago.
The Hungarians quickly took to the animals, which made great sheepherders, along with a similar, but larger breed known as the Komondor. The two dogs would watch the sheep day and night, with the Puli serving as the lookout and the Komondor operating as the muscle necessary to stop wolves and other predators. The Pulis were so highly regarded during this period that it was not uncommon for a shepherd to pay a full year's salary just for one of the dogs.
While the breed's dreadlocks grow naturally, owners still need to actively groom the dog, keeping the cords clean, neat and thin. The cords can grow long enough to reach the ground or they can be trimmed short. The dogs are very active and intelligent, requiring a lot of attention and exercise.

2. Xoloitzcuintli

The Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced Sho-lo-eets-quint-lee , although it's sometimes called “Mexican hairless or just shortened to” Xolo”) is a hairless Mexican dog that is so primitive that it was actually worshiped by the Aztecs. According to the mythology, the god Xolotl made the dogs from a sliver of the Bone of Life, which was also used to create all of mankind. Xolotl gave the dog to man, asking him to guard it with his life. In exchange, the dog would guide man through the world of death.
Because the breed is not well-known in the US, the Xolo has been mistaken for the mythological Chupacabra in US border states such as Arizona and Texas.
The Xolos are mellow and loyal dogs once they reach adulthood, but up until they become emotionally mature at age two, they are still highly noisy, chewy and high-energy. The breed was not inbred like many other purebred animals, so they are incredibly healthy, but they do require moisturizer, sunscreen and baths to prevent sunburn, acne and blackheads.

3. Peruvian Inca Orchid

While they may be called orchids, these pups are 100% dog. In many ways, they are like the Xolos, an ancient hairless breed. Like their Northern neighbor breed, these pups were worshiped by another ancient civilization, this time, the Incas, but the breed is actually a lot older than the Incan culture. Pictures of the breed appeared in Peruvian artwork from as far back as 750 A.D.
Peruvian folklore, much of which is based on Incan stories, says that hugging the dogs can help with medicinal problems, particularly stomach problems.
Sadly, the animals were almost ran out of existence after the Spanish conquest of Peru. Small villages in rural areas are all that kept the breed alive and more recently, Peruvian breeders worked to protect the remaining Inca Orchids, ensuring significant bloodline diversity.
These pups make great dogs, but they can be a little headstrong and require proper training from a young age. They also need lotion and lots of baths to prevent sunburn, acne and dry skin, and they do very poorly in warm weather.

4. Norwegian Lundehund

The Lundehund has some amazing features that make it physically unlike any other breed. One of its more distinct characteristics is the fact that it has six toes on each foot. It also has unique shoulder and neck joints that allow it to stretch its legs out straight in both directions and to reach its forehead all the way to its back. It also can close its ear canal at will to prevent dirt and water from getting in. All of this makes the Lundehund an amazing avian hunter in its native country, as it is an agile swimmer and a great climber on near-vertical cliffs and steep crevices. The dogs were originally trained to hunt puffins, all the way back in the 1600s, but after the practice died out, the breed almost went extinct. By the 1900s, the only small population survived in the small village of Monstad.
In 1963, there were only 6 of the dogs alive and thanks to the care and effort of a few dedicated breeders, there are now at least 1500 of the dogs alive. While the animals have been carefully bred to protect their bloodline, there is still a serious problem with genetic bottlenecking in the breed. For this reason, all of the existing dogs are subject to a disease known as Lundehund gastroenteropathy that can prevent the dogs from being able to derive nutrients and protein from their food.

5. Chinese Crested

These poor pups have a bad rep as far as cuteness goes. Personally, I think they're so ugly they're cute, but you can't argue with the fact that 6 of the last 10 World's Ugliest Dog Contests were Chinese Crested. As it turns out, the dogs aren't always born without fur, there are actually two varieties of the dogs, one has hair and one doesn't. Both can even be born in the same litter.
The version with hair is known as the “powderpuff” variety. Strangely, the hairless variety can have a full coat of hair if the gene that causes hairlessness isn't expressed as strongly. When this occurs, it can actually be hard to tell the two varieties apart, but the hairless variety only has a single coat and the powderpuff has two. Another strange difference between the two is that the hairless dogs often lack a full set of premolar teeth.
It's worth noting that Chinese Cresteds aren't even from China. While no one is certain of where the dog comes from, many suspect it originated in Africa, but there is also some evidence showing that it shares some of its breed history with the Xolo.

6. Carolina Dog

This dog doesn't look too out of the ordinary, but what makes it unique lies not in its physical appearance, but its DNA. As it turns out, the Carolina Dog may be the oldest canine species in North America, appearing in rock paintings by early Native Americans. They also share DNA with Australian Dingos and New Guinea Singing Dogs. They are still relatively primitive animals, subject to social hierarchy problems between their owners and are not recommended for first-time dog owners.

7. Catahoula Leopard Dog

These pups aren't just unique because they have a cool name, they also are amazing hunters and are even able to climb trees to chase prey. The dogs are believed to be one of the longest surviving breeds in all of North America and were prized by Native Americans for their amazing hunting abilities. The breed's name comes from the Catahoula Parish of Louisiana, where the breed originated. Since then, many famous hunters have owned Catahoulas, including Jim Bowie and Teddy Roosevelt.
As a working dog, they are known for having a lot of energy, but if properly exercised, these loyal dogs can be easy to train for herding, police work, or even to do tricks for their family's pleasure.

8. Neapolitan Mastiff

Fans of the harry Potter movies might recognize the massive mongrels as Hagrid's pet, Fang. While they aren't quite as massive as the one in the movie was made to appear, the dogs are incredibly large, standing over two and a half feet tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 150 pounds. Historically, the breed is said to have fought beside the Roman Legions, wearing bladed spiked leather harnesses so they could run under the bellies of enemy horses and disembowel them.
Sadly, despite their long breed history, they were almost extinct after WWII, but shortly after, an Italian painter set up a kennel to protect the breed by mixing the remaining Neapolitan Mastiffs with a few English Mastiffs to help diversify the bloodline.
The dogs are great pets, but are extremely protective of their families and need socialization from a young age in order to ensure they are not aggressive against strangers. They will rarely bark unless provoked and as a result, they are renowned for their stealth when attacking intruders.

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