Five-Legged Dog Rescued From Life as a Sideshow Freak
I think I just fell in love with a woman that I have never met and probably never will: Allyson Siegel (shown here) of Charlotte, NC.
When Siegel got wind that Precious a five-legged puppy was being sold to a Coney Island freak show, she jumped to Precious’ rescue. “Freaks of Nature” owner John Strong had already paid Calvin Owensby, owner of Chihuahua Diamond where Precious was born, a $1,000 deposit on his $3,000 bid for Precious. But Siegel didn’t let a down payment stand in her way of saving the Chihuahua-terrier mix from a life as a sideshow freak.
“I called Calvin and I said, ‘I understand this is about money,’ and I just said, ‘How much?’” Siegel told the New York Daily News. “She’s beautiful, she’s not a freak, she’s a normal little puppy dog and she should be just like all the others.”
Siegel paid Owensby, whose girlfriend agreed that the puppy should not go to a freak show, $3,000 plus an additional $1,000 to cover the returned deposit to Strong.
Precious, who now goes by Lilly, is healthy and doing well. She has been to the vet and will soon have her extra limb removed. The Animal League of Gaston County is helping to cover the surgery’s expenses and will be hosting a fund-raiser this Friday evening at the Dog Bar, a dog-friendly bar in Charlotte.
If you would like to help out, you can contact the Dog Bar at 704-370-3595 for more information about the event, or the Animal League at 704-868-4673 to make a donation on Lilly’s behalf.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:59 pm
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