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CHARLOTTE – The community came together Friday night to support an animal lover who spent thousands of dollars out of her own pocket to help a five-legged puppy.

The story made headlines around the country. The puppy was born with five legs in Gastonia and caught the attention of a sideshow promoter in New York.

But the puppy, named Lilly, is now in the care of a Charlotte woman, and dozens of animal lovers are trying to help the dog’s owner cover the costs.

Lilly has had surgery since she was purchased, and her extra limb is gone for good.

“She is a ball of fire,” Allyson Siegel, who bought the dog for $4,000, said. “She’s a jumper and she’s just all over the place. And she can do things that she couldn’t do before.”

Siegel also paid $2,000 for the surgery. While Lilly recuperates, dozens of animal lovers raised funds to support her cause.

“This woman spent $4,000 of her own money, plus the money that she was going to have to spend to have a leg removed, and that’s just an incredible story,” Fort Mill resident Jim Jervis said.

But the story might not be over yet. The side show promoter is reportedly threatening to take legal action. They paid a downpayment of $1,000 on the dog before Siegel stepped in.

But Siegel said that as long as Lilly’s healthy, it doesn’t matter how much she ends up spending.