Credit: '' Legend’s Journey ''
Greenville County Animal Care issued an urgent call for a volunteer to transport an injured dog to a vet clinic after a dog was brutally attacked by two other dogs. Fran Alexay Rizzo, an animal lover, answered the phone.
Legend was rescued after two women out for a walk overheard a disturbance at a house. When they arrived, they discovered two Pit bulls attacking the dog. Because they were tearing him apart, animal control was called, and the three dogs were taken to Greenville County Animal Care.
When Alexay first saw Legend, he was covered in blood and bite marks. His left ear had been ripped off, his right ear was hanging by a thread, and he had bite marks all over his body.
“You could see all the puncture wounds from his shoulders forward,” Rizzo told The Greenville News. “A couple wounds were deep where blood was coming out when he moved.”
Credit: '' Legend’s Journey ''
"The ER vet wasn't sure if he'd make it," she explained. "There was nothing visibly broken. But the trauma to his body from all of these wounds was immense. And there's only so much a small body can handle."
But Legend is a fighter, and he made it through his first night. He underwent surgery, given fluids and put on a feeding tube. And he started to get better.
A few days later, his wounds swelled. But he got better and better over time. Rescue Dogs Rock NYC stepped forward to help pay his medical bills, which were piling up. "We're thrilled with the outcome and grateful he's alive," said Jackie O'Sullivan, co-founder of the group. It's a miraculous story, and he's touched many lives."
Credit: '' Legend’s Journey ''
Legend's hearing is fine, but his ears are gone and he's covered in scars. But he is overjoyed. His tail is constantly wagging, and he enjoys nothing more than showering Fran with kisses.
"If you judge a book by its cover, you might miss out on an amazing story," Fran said of Legend. "He's the sweetest thing I've ever fostered in my life," she exclaims. "He is constantly requesting hugs and kisses."
Credit: '' Legend’s Journey ''
Fran says she considers keeping Legend every day because the two are so close. But she knows she can't keep fostering dogs for Greenville County Animal Care, which is in desperate need of fosters.
She wishes that more people would volunteer to foster for Greenville County Animal Care because they are in desperate need of assistance.