13 October 2023 , 15:25
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A six-legged puppy found abandoned in a car park is settling into life at her new foster home.
Cocker Spaniel Ariel was picked up by a member of the public and taken to Greenacres Rescue near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, by the council’s dog warden.
The pup then had a check-up at the local vets, where she was named after Disney’s Little Mermaid, with the team likening her two extra back legs, which are partly fused together, to a mermaid’s tail.
"When Ariel was brought into our centre she was very timid and shy," said Mikey Lawlor, Greenacres' founder and manager. “That’s not unusual for an abandoned puppy, and she’d obviously been through a lot.
Ariel will require surgery in the future (Greenacres Rescue)"After being checked out by the vet, I took her home for the first two nights to monitor her to make sure all her normal bodily functions were working properly. In the first 24 hours, she was very quiet and shut down, but she settled quickly.
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“Within a few days, Ariel was X-rayed by the vet to make sure she was functioning properly internally, and we were relieved to find out that she was. That had been our biggest concern.”
Ariel will require surgery in the future and members of the public have already contributed more than £2,000 to help with costs.
In addition, Mr Lawlor revealed Greenacres has received more than 200 enquiries from people interested in adopting the pup.
He added: "We aren't taking applications just now. We are continuing to monitor Ariel with the support of our fantastic foster carer and once we know for definite what the future is going to hold for her, we’ll look at the best options for a permanent home.
“Now that she’s getting back to herself, Ariel is a wonderful little dog. She’s a typical Cocker Spaniel, busy, curious and will be easy to train. We hope she’ll be able to find a loving, permanent home when the time comes.”
Webbox pet pic
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And we all want to see your favourite snaps of your animal pals, so please send them in – the cuter the better. We’ll share as many as we can on this page, and in our brilliant newsletter too.
HarleyThis snap shows Harley enjoying a cool breeze from a fan during the warm weather. Owner Denis Jones from north London says: “She was called Harley because she is a red boxer and I had a red Harley Davidson motorbike. She has to share the house with three rescued cats, and because she is a big softy, she lets the cats get away with nicking her food.”
Send your snaps to [email protected] or tag our socials. Make sure to tell us a bit about your pet and what makes them special to you. We can’t wait to see them!
Echo steals the show at Pride of Britain
Freya Harris won the Child of Courage Award - and her dog, Echo, received a medal too (/ Daily Mirror)A gorgeous Australian shepherd was one of the stars of Pride of Britain on ITV1 last night.
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Millions of viewers fell in love with Echo, who has been a constant companion for brave Freya Harris, eight, who won a Child of Courage award at the Mirror event.
Echo joined her on stage with Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo - don’t worry if you missed it, you can still catch up on ITVX.
Shell of a day for tortoise with huge bladder stone
Joey and his bladder stone (Pas Medina and Viliam Hoferica)An octogenarian tortoise is in recovery after surgery to remove a bladder stone the size of a tennis ball.
Vets cut through 82-year-old Joey’s shell to remove the growth, which weighed 150g, before patching up the hole with resin and fibreglass.
The reptile, from Penzance, Cornwall, was taken to Penbode Vets in Bude when her owners noticed she was eating less than usual and becoming more lethargic.
Joey's bladder stone weighed 150g (Pas Medina and Viliam Hoferica)Vet Pas Medina, an advanced exotic pet practitioner, said: “Bladder stones in reptiles are not unusual. The size is what shocked us. I have never removed one that size.”
Tell us about amazing pets and their people
Nominations are now open for the Mirror People’s Pet Awards with Webbox.
We’re looking for cats, dogs and every pet in between who has saved and transformed lives, rescue animals who have overcome incredible odds, and pets who win the hearts of everyone they meet.
There are also categories for people old and young who make a difference to animals’ lives.
If your pet, or a pet you know, deserves an award you can find more information and nominate them at thepeoplespetawards.co.uk.