“Pay de limón”, the dog whose front legs were cut off by drug traffickers and can be chosen as pet of the year

An old Mexican dog competes for the title of pet of the year awarded by American enthusiasts to pets. His story deserves it: 12 years ago he was the victim of the violence of Mexican drug traffickers who cut off his two front legs.

With its two leather prostheses, Pay de Limón is the star of the Milagros Caninos shelter, installed south of Mexico City, which houses about 400 dogs and 89 cats near the canal area of ​​Xochimilco, the last pre-Hispanic legacy of the city.

Pay de Limón is a dog who survived the tortures of organized crime. In the municipality of Fresnillo, Zacatecas, 12 years ago a group of criminals from Los Zetas cut off each of his toes.

In 2011, when he was 10 months old, the dog was found in a garbage dump in Zacatecas, after various operations to capture the leaders in that state of the Los Zetas criminal group, one of the bloodiest in the country.

The animal had been used by the cartel to practice the torture methods they would later use on their victims, such as cutting off its fingers, which would have left it unable to use its two front legs.

When he was no longer useful to the criminal group for their experiments, it was abandoned in a bloody landfill, unable to move and in a delicate state of health. An anonymous call alerted the Milagros Caninos Civil Association, based in Mexico City, which managed to save the dog alive and take him to the country’s capital for treatment.

“Milagros Caninos received a call saying that a dog’s front legs had been cut off and had been thrown in a trash can,” recalls its founder, Paty Ruiz, the inspiration for her life.

Pay de Limón was able to benefit from some leather prostheses made in Virginia, United States.

The animal with light fur and bleached over the years, up to now is ahead in the race “America’s Favorite Pet” (America’s Favorite Pet). Voting closes on February 16.

The prize is $5,000 and the cover of Dogster Magazine.

“He’s a hero! He’s not spiteful. His life is an example of courage and to always move forward”, say the organizers.

“Dog miracles receive dogs only in extreme situations. Dogs with cancer, without legs, blind, deaf, burned, tortured, paralyzed, raped, drugged, beaten with an ax, mutilated…”, says Ruiz.

Among the other inmates who were victims of ill-treatment, the presence of Strawberry stands out, who suffered an ax blow that destroyed her muzzle.

Strawberry benefited from the world’s first reconstructive surgery for dogs, with nasal turbinates and implants, says Ruiz.

He explains that he opened his Milagros Caninos shelter after the death of his own dog. “He died suffocated while I was sleeping. From there I said to myself: I will help all the dogs that are suffering”.

In 18 years, Milagros Caninos has received between 3,000 and 4,000 dogs, according to its founder. The shelter employs 23 people, including three veterinarians who also look after dogs with cancer, disabled dogs…

In total, the shelter consumes four tons of kibble a month. His monthly spending goes up to 700,000 pesos ($35,000) a month. For its financing, the hostel launches calls for contributions on its website.