Five legged puppy saved from life in a Coney Island freak show

I don’t usually write about genetic anomalies or animal sideshows, but this is a great story about people coming to the aid of a puppy and a last minute happy ending.

Precious the Chihuahua was born four weeks ago with a fifth leg protruding from her stomach. When the story ran in the Gaston Gazette (NC), owner Calvin Owensby said that he couldn’t afford to have the leg amputated. Quickly many people stepped up and offered to help pay for the surgery.

After an x-ray a local veterinarian agreed to amputate the leg in a few months when Precious is large enough. He didn’t believe the leg indicated any internal problems but he thought it might “cause discomfort” as she grew older. There is also no feeling in the leg which might cause problems as she gets more active.

However that same day Owensby returned a phone call and agreed to sell the dog for $3000 to a New York sideshow owner, John Strong.

It looked like Precious would keep her fifth leg forever and join a two headed snake, a two headed cow and 25 other genetic anomalies in an animal freak show on Coney Island. Strong said he had been trying to get a five-legged dog for several years.

"You don't find a five-legged dog just anywhere, you know," Strong said

(I don’t care what you say, that is a funny line.)

Owensby has been unemployed since January. "I'm sad. I'm really sad. But we're going through hard times. We don't want to do it but we have to."

When the news hit, Owensby was besieged with phone calls, most berating him, but one caller Allyson Siegel, 45, of Charlotte, offered to buy Precious for $4000.

"Poor thing, she was headed for a terrible life," Siegel said. "As a kid, I'd been to a fair, and I'd been to all these sideshows, and I just didn't think it was right for her."

Owensby said he did not realize what kind of a show Precious was headed for when he agreed to sell her. "He didn't tell me it was a freak show. He told me it was an amazing animals show."

Freak show, amazing animals show….tomato, tomahto..

Complete story in Gaston Gazette

Comments

[Khyra]

Many of the transports Mom does are fur khanines eskhaping this alternate universe of our khountry...

Laska khame from this area...

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

[frank]

I don't mean to be obtuse, but where is the extra leg?

[Jan]

It's the pale appendage in front with six toes. And you could never be obtuse, Frank.

[jan's funny farm]

A freak show. Nothing belongs in a freak show! Glad the dog was rescued from such a fate.

[Wendy]

Freak shows get a bad rap. For years and years a human anomaly could earn a better living being on display than a 'normal' person could.

I'm glad this pup has a chance at a normal life though.

[jackie]

that guy is a jackass..freak show ...judas priest..does he have someone that bites the heads off chickens too?

[Jimmy]

I'll have to agree with Wendy. I guess some of the human rarities did earn a good living showcasing their anomalies. Don't know about how the animals were treated though?
But in this case, I don't think the pup should go to Coney Island
My guess would be........if the fifth leg can be removed safely.....then the little pup would have a better quality of life just from a mobility standpoint!
And his quality of life also depends on how much he is loved and adored, and I hope he gets to spend his days being loved.

[Blogdog]

That poor dog!

Can't believe here is a Freak Show with animals on display like that. I am truly horrified.

[Saint Lover]

I saw this on google the other day. I am glad he wont be in the freak show... no comment about the original owner though.

[Col]

Poor little pup. So glad to hear that it ended well.

[Tammy]

I saw this story too, but I hadn't heard about the owner selling it to a "freak show". I'm glad that someone else came through and this little dog will have a loving home instead!!

[Jan]

Tammy, I didn't want to write about a five legged dog or about it going to be shown as a freak. I was glad when the story took a happy twist.