Losing a leg wasn’t going to stop one California resident from fulfilling his dreams of learning to surf, but what makes his story really unique is that the water baby is an abused dog.

Onyx the black Lab was left with just three limbs after his old owner tried to amputate his hind leg following a car accident in a cold-hearted effort to save on vet bills, reported KGET.com.

The young retriever was found battered and bleeding from his ragged stump last September, while tied to a wooden post.