Six-legged spaniel underwent surgery to remove extra limbs and adapted to life on four legs

A spaniel who was born with six legs and was found abandoned in a supermarket car park now looks like other dogs after having her extra limbs surgically removed.

Arielwho was named after the Little Mermaid character because the extra two-legged appendage on the end looked like a flipper, ran across the grass Saturday while she got used to life on all fours.

“She's doing great,” said Vicki Black, director of Langford Small Animal Veterinary Hospital, where she underwent surgery Thursday.

A dog with multiple birth defects was found in the center of Pembroke, Wales, in September. Greenacres Rescue took her in and raised funds for the surgery.

Black said the hospital, which is part of the University of Bristol, had never seen six-legged dogs or performed such an operation.

“Ariel was a tricky little dog,” Black said. “We are a center committed to career-long learning, and we are proud to innovate and treat pets like Ariel.”

The extra legs extended from her right rear and seemed to be of no use hanging next to her wagging tail as she walked a little awkwardly in the pre-op video.

On Saturday, when she was discharged, she walked onto the lawn outside the hospital with the determination of a bird dog, nose to the ground and pulling on her leash.