Photo Mike Hensdill/The Gaston Gazette Calvin Owensby holds "Precious" a puppy born with a 5th leg. The photo was taken in Owensby's apartment on Essex Street in Gastonia
Posted on 07/01/2009 3:56:51 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Calvin Owensby's phone rang off the hook Tuesday night after The Gazette reported that he planned to sell his five-legged Chihuahua, Precious, to a freak show in Coney Island, N.Y.
Most of the callers berated him for his decision, he said, but one caller, Allyson Siegel, 45, of Charlotte, offered to buy Precious.
Wednesday morning they settled on an amount - $4,000 - and Siegel took Precious home with her.
"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 initially agreed to sell her.
"He didn't tell me it was a freak show," Owensby said of John Strong, owner of John Strong's Shows. "He told me it was an amazing animals show."
Strong could not be reached for comment.
Owensby said he feels confident that Siegel will take care of the puppy.
"She can take better care of it than we can," he said.
He emphasized that Siegel told him that he and his fiancée could visit Precious any time they wanted.
Siegel said she may give Precious up for adoption via the Animal League of Gaston County. But she plans to keep the dog until her veterinarians tell her what kind of medical attention Precious' fifth leg requires. The veterinarians already told her Precious has no feeling in the extra leg, so Siegel fears that Precious could cut the leg or harm it some other way.
"It needs to come off," she said.
Siegel attends graduate school full time at UNC Charlotte and works part time for a trucking company. She paid for Precious with her own money, but the Animal League promised to try to raise money to reimburse Siegel.
"I'm so glad she had the courage to say, ‘This is not right,' and take the dog, and go from there," said Kathy Cole, the Animal League's president. "I think she'll get a lot of support."
Siegel called herself a "cat-lover" and said she's never owned a dog until now.
"I guess I'm just an animal lover," she said.
Photo Mike Hensdill/The Gaston Gazette Calvin Owensby holds "Precious" a puppy born with a 5th leg. The photo was taken in Owensby's apartment on Essex Street in Gastonia
Aw, what a cutie pie!
LOL!!!!!
The original owner has quite a scam going.
Who was this “Amazing Animal Show”?
LOL!!!
Instead of giving the puppy to a shelter or having to pay to have the leg amputated himself, HE GOT 4000.00!!!!
My goodness that’s unbelievable.
That’s nothing, we have a two faced president!
And is there any proof that this guy made an offer?
Or that the dog would be abused there?
Like I said, 4000.00!!!!!!
Nice one!
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