One-leg Louie M

iriam Ortega has children and owns a business. But Louie is her baby.

The 3-year-old chow rides with her in the car, wears sunglasses and sleeps by her side.

One year ago, Louie got out of their house in Oak Park Estates and was hit by three cars, Ortega says.

He had broken bones, and his body was mangled.

“This lady who stopped to help me drove Louie and me to the emergency vet. I had never seen her before,” Ortega says.

They gave Louie a 40 percent chance of surviving the night, and to make matters worse, they handed Ortega an estimate of $1,500-$1,800 for treatment.

She didn’t have the cash at the time and wasn’t sure what to do, but the neighbor told her to email Duck Team 6, the street-dog rescue nonprofit.

“Thirty minutes later, they contacted me and spoke to the doctor and made all the arrangements,” Ortega says. “The next day, we had him transferred to City Vet, and they literally gave him life!”

Louie had a leg amputated, but he’s sweet and funny as ever. And Duck Team 6 picked up the $1,800 tab.

“They were his guardian angels,” Ortega says.