A six-legged dog found abandoned in a supermarket car park is now like other dogs after his extra limbs were surgically removed.
LONDON – A six-legged cocker spaniel that was found abandoned in a supermarket parking lot is now like other dogs after her extra limbs were surgically removed.
Ariel, named after the “Little Mermaid” character because the extra appendage with paws at the end resembles a flipper, ran across the grass outside a veterinary hospital on Saturday as she adjusted to life on four legs.
“She's doing great,” said Vicki Black, director of Langford Vets Small Animal Hospital, where she underwent surgery Thursday.
The dog, which had multiple birth defects, was found in central Pembroke, Wales, in September. Greenacres Rescue took her in and raised money for her surgery.
Black said the hospital, part of the University of Bristol, had never seen a dog with six legs or performed such an operation.
“Ariel was a complicated little dog,” Black said. “We are a center committed to lifelong learning and take pride in creating and treating pets like Ariel.”
Extra legs extended from the right back and appeared to be useless, dangling alongside her swaying tail, as she walked somewhat awkwardly in a video filmed before the operation.
On Saturday, while leaving the hospital, she stepped out onto the grass outside the hospital with the design of a flying dog, put her nose to the ground and pulled her leash. Just like any other dog.
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