Humphrey, the stray dog from East St. Louis feared lost last week, came limping out of the doctor's office Wednesday at the Mon-Clair Animal Hospital in Millstadt, wagging his tail. He no longer has his injured front left leg, but he has a new home. Humphrey also has been neutered, examined, wormed and given his shots in preparation for his new life as a pampered pet.

He is going to a home in Maplewood, Mo., said Jamie Case, executive director of Gateway Pet Guardians, a group that fosters wild dogs and cats. In a Sunday News-Democrat story about P.J. Anderson, a woman who feeds strays in East St. Louis, Case was worried about the dog because Anderson hadn't seen him on her daily rounds for several days.

But Case said Anderson spotted the dog again a few days ago, so they decided to try to trap him. "We loaded the trap yesterday (Tuesday) and within five minutes he was in the trap," she said. He came right to the canned dog food and seemed content with being caught, she said.

Meanwhile Ronnie Aguirre, a woman who is friends with veterinarian Noelle Miles, had told her about the animal and Miles offered to take care of its health needs at a reduced cost.

That included amputating the injured and useless left front leg. "He pretty much had a complete tune-up," she said. "He had tons of tapeworms and fleas."Humphrey also received his necessary shots and was microchipped.

But luckily he didn't have any long-term problems and seemed healthy and happy Wednesday when he went with Case to his new home. Miles said she estimated he was anywhere from 10 to 12 months old although it is hard to tell. He warmed up to people right away, a sign that he is younger and has been around people before.

"He definitely isn't an old dog, set in his ways," she said. "He settled right down on his new cushion just like it was what he liked. He probably was owned by people and was dumped, before or after his injury I don't know."The dog appears to be a mix of Dalmatian and some sort of a retriever.