After two other dogs brutally attacked a dog, Greenville County Animal Care put out an urgent call for a volunteer to take an injured dog to a vet clinic. Animal lover Fran Alexay Rizzo answered the call.
Two women out for a walk heard a commotion at a house, which is how Legend was saved. When they went to find out what was going on, they saw two Pit bulls attacking a dog. They were tearing him to pieces, so someone called animal control and the three dogs were taken to Greenville County Animal Care. Legend was covered in blood and bite marks when Alexay first saw him. His left ear had been ripped off, and his right ear was hanging by a thread. There were bite marks all over his body. Rizzo told The Greenville News that you could see all of the holes from his shoulders forward. Some of his wounds were so bad that blood came out when he moved.
She said: ,,The ER vet wasn’t sure if he was going to live or pass away. Nothing looked like it was broken. But all these wounds did such a lot of damage to his body. And there’s only so much a small body can handle. But Legend is tough, and he survived his first night. He had surgery, was given fluids, and got a feeding tube over the course of several days. Thankfully he started to get better.”
After a few days, his wounds got bigger. But he got better and better over time. His medical bills were getting bigger and bigger, so Rescue Dogs Rock NYC stepped up to help pay them. The group’s co-founder, Jackie O’Sullivan, said: ,,We’re thrilled with the result and glad he’s alive. It’s a miracle, and a lot of people have been moved by it’s Legenda can hear fine, but his ears are gone and he has scars all over his body. But he is happy all the time. His tail is always wagging, and he loves giving Fran kisses more than anything else.”
Fran said of Legend: ,,If you judge a book by its cover, you might miss out on an amazing story.” She also says: ,,He’s the cutest thing I’ve ever cared for in my life. He always wants to be hugged and kissed.”
Fran says that because she and Legend have become so close, she thinks about keeping him every day. But she knows she can’t keep taking in other dogs for Greenville County Animal Care, which needs fosters so badly.
