6-Legged ‘Mermaid’ Dog Was Finally Adopted By Surf Instructors For People With Disabilities

Ariel, a dog who was born with 6 legs, took media’s attention all around the world last October when at just 11 weeks of age, she was found dumped in a car park.

Yet everything changed when Emma-Mary Webster and Ollie Bird, who teach people with disabilities how to surf at Blue Horizons Surf Club in Pembrokeshire, decided to adopt the unfortunate cocker spaniel.

More Info: Blue Horizons CIC

The couple's beloved 16-year-old dog called Pippin, who liked to swim and climb the rocks, passed away and they were looking for a new one to adopt.

"We were so heartbroken we felt like we'd never get another dog, but the hole he left in our lives was so huge we realized we had to try to fill it somehow. We applied to Greenacres [Rescue at the Ebbs Acres Farm in Pembrokeshire] to see if they had any dogs up for adoption, not long after which a volunteer rang saying she thought she had the perfect candidate for us," Ollie shared.

At the time the couple didn't know anything about Ariel's story.

"She was brought to ours for a home visit and took to the place straight away, really made herself comfortable. Neither of us were at all aware we had a celebrity in our midst," he added.

Any time Ollie would take a dog for a walk along the coastline, many people would recognize her and would ask for a selfie, yet Ariel seemed to like it.

"Ariel adores the attention, not to mention beach life and splashing around in the water," he said.

The cocker spaniel became a true star in the couple's Blue Horizons Surf Club, which specializes in adaptive surf lessons and boat trips for people of all ages with a range of physical and mental disabilities.

"Ariel loves being part of those lessons. She's always a big hit with whoever we take out onto the waves and she never stops wanting to play," Ollie shared and added that Ariel is always excited whenever she gets out her leash.

Ariel got her name from Disney's Little Mermaid character due to her partially fused extra back legs, which reminded rescuers of a mermaid's tail.

The dog, who was suffering from several defects from birth, immediately got media's attention: people from all over the world were deeply touched by Ariel's story, including calls and emails from as far away as New York and Australia. Therefore, about £15,000 was raised in order to have a life-changing operation at Langford Vets Small Animal Referral Hospital in Somerset.

"Ariel was a complicated little dog whose care required close collaboration across a number of our specialist led teams including orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, anaesthesia and radiology. We are delighted such a lovely dog has recovered from her surgery well," said Vicki Black, the hospital director at Langford Vets Small Animal Referral Hospital.

"Ariel deservedly has many devoted supporters, it was a great pleasure to treat her and work with Greenacres Rescue," she added.

The operation went successfully and Ariel can finally enjoy her second life near the sea where huge limestone cliffs meet endless golden beaches.

"Other than a tiny bit of nerve damage in one of her back legs you'd never think she'd ever had anything wrong with her," Ollie said.

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention," Kahlil Gibran once said, and the couple from Pembrokeshire is such a beautiful example of it.

Emma-Mary and Ollie have been helping people with disabilities to catch the waves for over 25 years, and now, thanks to the couple, Ariel is able to get her wave of a lifetime too.