Sprightly Chihuahua with only one front leg and one rear leg found in California is stealing hearts

When county animal control officers in Highland, San Bernardino County, California, responded to a report of an injured Chihuahua, they didn’t expect what they found: a sprightly two-legged male. The dog was actually uninjured.



With only a left front leg and right hind leg, the predominantly white Chihuahua, which animal control officials named Joey after picking him up on Tuesday, was surprisingly agile and had no problems getting around when he was found. “He can do almost anything any other dog can do,” said Doug Smith, supervising animal control officer.



“He’s very friendly with people and gets along well with other dogs.” He said Joey, around 5 or 6 years old, had no collar, tag or microchip to help animal control officers find his owner. So they are hoping Joey’s owner calls to retrieve him. Joey was found clean, in good health and playful, leaving animal control officers to believe he had been well taken care of, said C.L. Lopez, spokeswoman for the county Department of Health and Human Services.


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Lopez believes the missing legs are likely a birth defect “He likes to chase people and run around like any other dog,” Lopez said. If the owner doesn’t call to claim him, Joey will be available for adoption on Sunday morning. “He is a truly unique dog, not just because he has two legs, but because he is so capable and does not let his challenging circumstances slow him down,” Animal Care and Control Chief Brian Cronin said in a statement on Friday.