Dog Whose Paws Were Cut Off By The Mexican Drug Cartel Is Competing To Be "Pet Of The Year"

June 4, 2024 Malorie Thompson

A senior pooch who had a rough go in life is currently the frontrunner for the Pet of the Year award.

Pay de Limon (AKA: Lemon Pie) could be crowned America's Favorite Pet for 2023 if things continue to go in his favor.

The grand prize includes getting a two-page feature in Catster or Dogster Magazine and a check for USD $5,000 (AUD $7,235) - something Pay de Limon could greatly use to offset his medical bills and care.

Pay de Limon lives at Milagros Caninos in Mexico City, an animal shelter for dogs in extreme situations.

According to Limon's profile on the shelter's website, the poor pooch "had the bad luck of falling into the hands of an organized crime group in Fresnillo Zacatecas." The shelter explained that the cartel used Limon to practice "cutting off each one of his fingers like when they cut off human beings who are kidnapped."

In the end, Limon was discarded into a trashcan where he was found and rescued. Naturally, he was incredibly fearful and timid at first, but the rescue spent years winning his trust back.

His story ended up spreading around the world and was translated into 17 different languages. He traveled to make appearances and was even featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Pay de Limon is currently 1st in America's Favorite Pet contest, though voting is still open.

If you'd like to keep up with Pay de Limon, be sure to follow him on Facebook. He has his very own page where the shelter shares updates about his life along with plenty of pictures and videos.

Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

Country/region

Help Animals That Need Medical Care

Unique Quality Products

From exclusive pet-loving designs to hand-crafted artisan goods, our products are hand-picked for their superior quality and unique features.

Exceptional Value

We believe that shopping for good should be affordable and accessible to everyone, which is why we offer fair pricing and daily deals.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

With 20 years of extraordinary customer service and a stellar 4.8 ⭐ average rating, we stand by our process and your guaranteed satisfaction.

Every Purchase Gives Back

Every single purchase helps fund today’s most relevant and impactful causes so you can contribute to the causes you care about most, supporting people, pets, and the planet.

Join the Movement

Connect with millions of animal lovers and humanitarians that make up the GreaterGood community, and discover the power of collective impact. Together, we’ve raised over $80 million for charity and counting!