July 20, 2009

Lily, a 6-week-old puppy, is set to get her fifth limb removed later this month. The extra limb, is the white paw she is resting on in the background. (ZT Pet News Photo Courtesy of Allyson Siegel)

5-Legged Puppy Fetches $4K, Avoids Life in Freak Show: Sold to one of the nation's largest carnival shows in Coney Island, N.Y., a Chihuahua-mix puppy was saved by a stranger who made a $4,000 counter-offer to give the 6-week-old dog a forever, normal home.

NEW YORK -- Born with five legs, one Chihuahua-mix puppy was heading straight to a freak show in Coney Island, N.Y., until a sympathetic stranger stepped forward two weeks ago with a $4,000 check, granting the 6-week-old dog a chance at an ordinary, domestic existence.

It’s lucky that no one realized the puppy, formerly known Precious, is also a hermaphrodite, according to her new owner, Allyson Siegel, 45. In that case, the dog would have surely fetched for a much higher -- and potentially unmatchable -- price, Siegel says.

“You just have to think what could have happened to this puppy,” Siegel, of Charlotte, N.C., told ZT Pet News. “I’ve been to Coney Island, I’ve been to fairs as a kid, and I know what that is like. I couldn’t imagine that this cute little pup, just because she had an abnormality, would be considered a freak. I just didn’t think that was right thing to do.”

Siegel has since renamed the puppy Lily, and has spent the last two weeks weaning her, while she considers what step to take next. Surgery to remove Lily’s leg will cost around $1,500, and additional surgeries to rectify her kidneys or bladder might be necessary, pending an ultrasound.

But Siegel -- who owns six cats and has never before had a dog -- says the price and hassle are moot points, as she has “absolutely fallen in love” with the young dog, regardless of its physical abnormalities.

“We think she is a she, but if she becomes a he that is totally O.K.,” Siegel said. “I guess we could rename her Lionel. However she identifies herself will be just fine.”

Lily was born to Calvin Ownesby’s two dogs -- a Chihuahua and Wire-haired Terrier -- in June, among a litter of five. Owensby, of Gastonia, N.C., almost immediately noticed the puppy’s deformity, and after speaking with his veterinarian, learned that it would cost thousands to remove her extra limb.

Owensby, who has been unemployed since December 2008, realized he could not provide for the dog’s medical needs, and began to consider different offers as news of the unique dog spread.

John Strong, of John Strong’s Shows, the largest collection of oddities and circus-like attractions in the country, offered Owensby $3,000 for the dog, and granted him $1,000 upfront.

Struggling to make ends meet, Owensby agreed to give the dog to Strong, under the premise that she would receive a good home.

“He told me that he was running a farm-like attraction, that there are a lot of animals there and that she would have a nice life,” Owensby explained. “I didn’t realize it was a freak show.”

The Gaston Gazette, a local newspaper, reported Owensby’s sales negotiation and included his home number in the article, advising readers to catch a glimpse of the puppy before she left for New York City. Owensby was flooded with calls following the article’s June 30 publication, mainly from citizens concerned about the dog’s future in show business.

Siegel was one of the callers; she pitched an offer, she says, that she knew Owensby could not refuse.

“I called him and said this obviously is about money,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that it had to come down to that, but it did. He told me that the freak show offered him $3,000, so I said, O.K., I’ll give you $4,000.”

A full-time student now receiving her master’s degree in counseling, Siegel remains on a tight budget, as she also works full-time in a sales position.

“This wasn’t anything that I had planned for, but I just knew that I had to cut ends in order to make this work,” Siegel explained. “I can get another vacation, but this puppy can’t.”

Lily’s fifth limb extends from her pelvic region, and while doctors can’t fully account for its appearance, they think she may have absorbed another canine fetus while in the womb. She can’t feel the leg, Siegel says, though it is growing at an increasingly rapid rate; its presence prohibits her from walking without falling down every two steps.

She is set to have surgery on her leg July 25; the Animal League in Gatson County, N.C., has helped garner public donations for the procedure, raising approximately $1,300 to date.

The dog’s ambiguous sexual genitalia does not appear to bother her, Siegel says, though it may present internal complications in her kidneys or bladder; an ultrasound is scheduled for the end of July, after which veterinarians will be better equipped to consider what should come next for the unusual puppy.

In the meanwhile, Siegel is focusing on raising Lily to enjoy life like any other domestic dog should, playing with toys and snuggling up in bed at nighttime.

“The fifth leg is growing quicker than the rest of her body and I really just want to get that removed, so she can get on a track to have a normal dog’s life, which I think she can have with me,” Siegel said. “The sooner, the better. I just want the best for her.”

To donate money for Lily’s medical costs, contact the Animal League of Gatson County at 704-718-HOPE or info@algc.us.

Amy Lieberman is a correspondent for ZT Pet News covering the New York region and can be reached at alieberman@zootoo.com.