5-Legged Puppy Has Amputation to Foil Suit

And you thought the story of the five-legged puppy and the Coney Island freak show couldn't get any stranger. The woman who swooped in at the last minute to save Lily from the fate of becoming a public spectacle says the dog has had her fifth leg amputated, the Charlotte Observer reports. Case closed, right? "Even if it's been taken off, we're going to sew it right back on when we win the civil case," the freak show operator tells the Daily News.

"What good is a four-legged puppy to a freak show?" asks John Strong, who's not sure he believes the amputation has taken place. Strong had struck a deal to buy the 7-week-old pup before Allyson Siegel of North Carolina heard about it and paid $4,000 to rescue Lily. Strong says he's not giving up his legal fight. As for Lily, "all four legs work great," says Siegel. "The vet says he expects her to make a full recovery." (More Coney Island stories.)