A six-legged dog that was abandoned outside a store is adapting to her new home.
Ariel, named after Disney’s Little Mermaid, was left outside a shop in Pembrokeshire, Wales, last September.
At just 11 weeks old at the time, she was placed in an animal center. In addition to six legs, the cocker spaniel was also born with two vulvas and just one kidney.
According to Sky News, which tells its story, Ariel’s new owner, Ollie Bird, runs an adaptive surf school in west Wales.
The 40-year-old told Sky News that he and his family were “probably the only people in Wales” who hadn’t heard of Ariel’s story when they adopted her.
Ariel’s arrival came at a time when the family was mourning the loss of their dog.
“We had a 16-year-old dog that we found 13 years ago wandering along the beach at Freshwater West, our local beach. And unfortunately, he passed away suddenly during the night,” Bird said.
“For 48 hours we thought we weren’t going to get another dog because it’s too disruptive. Then we realized our house was empty without a dog and we asked Greenacres for a dog.”
The Greenacres association got in touch with the family again and was introduced to Ariel.
“Obviously, we learned her whole story. We were very happy to welcome her into our family,” he added. “She joins us wherever she wants us to go. In fact, she can walk pretty well,” he said.
“She swims in the sea, practices paddleboarding and surfing, and is great with children and families. She is a very gentle soul, likes to sit and watch,” added the man who gave the animal a happy ending.
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