25 Million Won Raised to Remove Two Deformed Legs
Rapid Recovery Allows Walking the Day After Surgery
A six-legged deformed stray dog in the UK received surgery funded by donations from around the world and found a new life.
Local media including the British BBC reported on the 20th (local time) that a black female Cocker Spaniel named 'Ariel' recently underwent surgery to remove two incomplete legs at an animal hospital in Bristol, Somerset, in the southwest of England. The dog was found last September at 11 weeks old in a parking lot of a retail chain store in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. At the time of discovery, the dog was abandoned in a severely emaciated and painful state.
On the 17th (local time), a photo taken before surgery shows Ariel, a stray dog with six legs, in Bristol, England, UK. [Photo by AP Yonhap News]
The animal rescue organization 'Green Acres Rescue' conducted a detailed examination of the dog's condition and found that in addition to four normal legs, the dog had two unusable legs attached to its hips. The two legs were partially fused together, resembling a mermaid's tail, which led to the stray dog being named 'Ariel' after the protagonist of the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid.
Ariel had both hip joints shifted to one side, causing improper pelvic development; she had only one kidney and an extra genital organ. The rescue organization shared this story. Upon hearing it, about ?15,000 (approximately 25.5 million KRW) was raised from around the world. Thanks to this, Ariel was able to undergo surgery.
After a two-hour surgery, Ariel's four normal legs were all preserved intact. The day after surgery, she was able to walk around, eat, and drink water, showing a rapid recovery. Initially, due to the deformity, Ariel had no muscle strength at all in her right hind leg, and there was a possibility that this leg would have to be amputated, but over the past few months since rescue, strength gradually returned to the leg, allowing it to be preserved.
Veterinarian Aaron Lutchman, who performed Ariel's surgery, said, "She has good resilience" and "She has now become a happy little dog." Green Acres Rescue founder Mikey Roller said, "The contacts we've received so far about Ariel's story, including calls and emails from as far away as New York, USA, and Australia, have been unbelievable," and added, "I don't know how to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to helping this dog."
Green Acres Rescue hopes that Ariel will be discharged this week and return to a foster home in Wales. The organization plans to find a permanent adoptive home for Ariel after several weeks of physical therapy and recovery.
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