An old Mexican dog is competing for the title of pet of the year awarded by American pet fanciers. His story deserves it: 12 years ago he was a victim of the violence of Mexican drug traffickers who cut off both of his front legs.
With his two leather prostheses, Pay de Limón is the star of the Milagros Caninos shelter, installed in the south of Mexico City, which houses some 400 dogs and 89 cats near the area of the Xochimilco canals, the last pre-Hispanic heritage of the city.
Pay de Limón is a dog that survived the torture 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 several operations, when agents captured the leaders of the Los Zetas criminal group, one of the most bloodthirsty in the country.
The animal had been used by the cartel to practice the torture methods that they would later use on their victims, such as cutting off fingers, which would leave it unable to use its two front legs.
When he was no longer useful to the criminal group for their experiments, he was abandoned in a garbage dump bleeding, unable to move and in a delicate state of health. An anonymous call alerted the Milagros Caninos Civil Association, located in Mexico City, which managed to rescue the dog alive and take it to the country's capital for treatment.
"Milagros Caninos received a call in which they told her that a dog's front legs had been cut off and that they had been thrown into a garbage can," recalls its founder, Paty Ruiz, the inspiration for her life's work.
Pay de Limón was able to benefit from some leather prostheses made in Virginia, United States.
The animal with light fur and bleached by the passing of the years, so far it is in the lead in the America's Favorite Pet contest (the favorite pet of the United States). Voting will close on February 16. The prize is $5,000 and the cover of Dogster Magazine.
"He is a hero! He is not spiteful. His life is an example of courage and of always moving forward," say the organizers.
"Milagros Caninos only receives dogs in extreme situations. Dogs with cancer, without legs, blind, deaf, burned, tortured, paralyzed, raped, drugged, beaten with an axe, mutilated...", says Ruiz.
Among the other inmates victims of mistreatment, the presence of Strawberry stands out, who suffered an ax blow that destroyed her snout.
Strawberry benefited from the world's first dog reconstructive surgery, with nasal turbinates and implants, Ruiz says.
She explains that she opened her Milagros Caninos shelter after the death of her own dog. "He died of suffocation while I was sleeping. From there I said to myself: I will help all the dogs that are suffering."
In 18 years, Milagros Caninos received between 3,000 and 4,000 dogs, according to its founder. The shelter employs 23 people, including three veterinarians who also care for dogs with cancer, disabled dogs...
In total, the shelter consumes four tons of croquettes per month. His monthly spending reaches up to $35,000 per month. For its financing, the hostel launches calls for contributions on its website.
