A wounded, mixed-breed pit bull was recovering Friday after it was found tied to a fence in northwest Miami-Dade by county animal services earlier in the week.
The dog – named Rock by Miami-Dade County Animal Services – was found with open cuts on his face, head and legs.
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“I felt horrible because he was left at a busy intersection and it was going to be cold at night,” said Dio Benitez, who found the dog. “It was tied to the fence with a wire.”
Benitez quickly took pictures and a video of Rock and put it on his Facebook page, a post that became viral in just a couple of days.
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“Hes face is swollen full of bites big abscess on jaw area. Please share this baby,” said Benitez’s Facebook page.
The posts were shared by thousands of people and gained the attention and support of the community and animal advocate organizations.
The dog was taken to a Miami-Dade County animal facility, but county laws prohibit the pit bull from remaining in the county. Kathleen Labrada from the Miami-Dade Animal Services took in the dog.
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“This dog did not put himself in this position, whether by neglect or refusal,” said Labrada. “He suffered at someone else's hands and we would love to be able to find the person and hold them accountable for that.”
Meanwhile, the Miami-Dade Animal Services called in Dahlia Canes from the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation. Canes specializes in finding pit bulls a foster home outside of Miami-Dade.
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“I came to look and evaluated the dog and he is awesome,” said Canes. “Very gentle, very sweet.”
Canes put Rock to interact with other dogs and found no violent reactions. Her mission now is finding this dog a loving home.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been dealing with these issues,” said Canes. “I see a dog like this and it’s unfortunate. I try to do the best I can to work with people who are on the same board to get a dog to safety.”
To inquire about adopting the dog call Miami-Dade Animal Services.
Photo Credit: Steve Litz