Last September in the United Kingdom, a Cocker Spaniel puppy was found abandoned in a parking lot. The little pup had one obvious unusual feature – she had six legs! She was taken to Greenacres Rescue who had her checked out at Langford Vets. They named her “Ariel”, after the character in The Little Mermaid”, because her two extra legs looked a bit like a mermaid’s tail.
The vets examined her and said she was reasonably healthy, considering her rough start in life. Her internal organs all looked good, although there were some issues with her pelvis - and one of her normal back legs had poor muscle tone. The veterinarians knew the extra legs would need to be removed because they would eventually cause damage to her pelvis. They agreed they had never seen a puppy quite like Ariel.
She was placed in a foster home, and Greenacres Rescue posted her story on their Facebook page and their website. It made news first in Great Britain - then her story spread around the world.
The surgery to remove the two extra legs would cost an estimated $9,000 dollars. There was no way the Rescue could afford that but it wasn’t a problem, after all – donations totaling more than $19,000 dollars came in from people all over the world – all wanting to help little Ariel!
Just over a week ago, the delicate and very involved surgery was performed by two veterinarians. By all reports, it went very well, despite complications due to all the extra blood vessels and tissue in Ariel’s little body. And they were able to leave her with four good legs.
Ariel will have physiotherapy as she recovers in her foster home, but reports indicate that Ariel is doing very well. And then, like other rescue dogs - she will find a forever home, a perfect ending when you’re speaking of pets.
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