The six-legged dog that caused a commotion when abandoned and received a wave of donations – 01/22/2024 – Equilíbrio

A six-legged dog, named Ariel, was abandoned at just 11 weeks old in a parking lot at a B&M supermarket in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in September 2023.

Since then, the animal has made headlines because of its six legs. Animal activists started a campaign for her to undergo surgery to remove her extra paw.

The initiative raised around US$19,000 (around R$93,000) and had donations from all over the world, as the case had great repercussions in many countries.

With the money raised, she underwent surgery, which was considered a success, and the doctors managed to save her four “normal” limbs, after fearing that she would also have to amputate one of them.

Mikey Lawlor is the founder and manager of Greenacres Rescue, the center that took Ariel in after she was discovered alone, emaciated and in distress.

“The veterinarian who initially examined Ariel noticed that in addition to her two extra back legs, she also had an extra vulva,” Lawlor said.

And a CT scan revealed he only had one kidney, adding to the complexity of medical treatment.

“Because she had two hip joints on one side, Ariel’s pelvis never formed properly.”

“As a result, his normal back right leg had virtually no muscle tone, so there was a possibility that this could also have been lost.”

“Fortunately this was not the case as this leg has shown signs of becoming much stronger in recent months.”

Looking for a permanent place

Ariel, named after the character from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” because her extra, partially fused hind legs resembled a mermaid’s tail, underwent surgery at Langford Small Animal Veterinary Hospital in Somerset, southwest of the United Kingdom, on Thursday. Monday (18/1).

“She had two procedures that lasted about two hours, but both went well,” Lawlor explained.

“The next day, she was awake, walking, eating and drinking.”

“Now we just have to cross our fingers that she doesn’t get any infections, but she really is in the best hands.”

Lawlor hopes Ariel will be discharged this weekend to return home to her temporary family in west Wales.

“Then, after several weeks of physical therapy and recovery, we will figure out how to find him a forever home,” he added.

“The response we’ve had to Ariel’s story so far, including calls and emails from as far away as New York and Australia, has been incredible, so I have no doubt it will be embraced.”

“I can’t thank enough everyone who contributed to helping her.”

Langford Veterinary Hospital Director Vicki Black added: “Ariel was a complicated dog whose care required close collaboration between several of our specialist teams, including specialists in orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, anesthesia and radiology.”

“As part of the University of Bristol, we are a center committed to lifelong learning and we are proud to innovate and treat pets like Ariel.”

“We are happy that such an adorable animal recovered well from surgery.”

This text was originally published here.