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It’s unimaginable how many people in the L.A. area must have walked by this dog in dire need of rescue before one anonymous Good Samaritan contacted Ghetto Rescue Ffoundation (GRFF). She was really far gone, and it’s hard to tell exactly how long she was out there, but it was clearly too long. Luckily, the foundation, in collaboration with volunteers and the LAPD, set up a rescue operation as soon as possible.

This is Spirit Golden Heart, named by the anonymous caller.

She only weighed 26 pounds and had maggots in her open wounds, as well as big, full ticks leeching her blood.

This was back on August 1. Since then, she’s received tons of medical care and affection.

The ticks and maggots were meticulously removed from her skin, and she’s been all cleaned up.

Next comes the hard part.

Spirit is incredibly weak, and it’s difficult for her to stand for more than just a short period of time.

She is on a high-protein diet, and her red blood cell count is on the rise…

But she still needs to be carried to go use the potty outside, as she is still suffering from swollen joints and general weakness.

She’s a small girl, as far as pit bulls go…

But her heart and will to live are both big as ever.

Her doctors are still running many tests on her to figure out why her joints are swollen…

So far they can’t seem to find a cause. Her liver is alright and it has nothing to do with the ticks. Hopefully they will find the problem soon so her road to recovery can get a big boost.

In the meantime, all they can do is hope for the very best.

And, of course, keep her on that high-protein, high-love diet she’s on.

(via Bark Post)

Thank goodness for that one kind soul who finally called the right people to get this desperate pup the help she needed. She was so close to death, it’s a miracle she’s still with us today. If you’d like to help cover her vet bills, you’ll only increase her chances of making it out of this ordeal happy and healthy.

When Tyler Price was taking a walk in Flint, Michigan, he and his cousin made an accidental and lifesaving discovery. Along their path they came across a sign lying flat on the ground. With no other encouragement besides sheer curiosity, Price lifted up the sign with his foot…

Down a deep sewer drain, they discovered this poor pit bull, now named Mars.

Not about to leave the helpless dog down there alone, Price called his parents immediately.

He gave his cousin money to go get some water while he waited with the puppy. Meanwhile, law enforcement and a local animal rescue team soon arrived to hoist the guy out of the hole.

It’s hard to tell how long he was down there for, but clearly it was a long time with no food or water.

There wouldn’t have been any way for Mars to escape on his own…

Had Price not stopped, the dog might not have survived.

The big question: who is responsible?

There is no way of knowing how he really ended up in this position, but the most logical answer is that some monster put him down the hole to starve to death in the dark.

Well, Mars isn’t about to let that ugly person win!

Despite being extremely malnourished and heartworm positive, he’s a real fighter.

It’s been over a week since he was lifted from the seven-foot-deep hole, but he’s already put on about five pounds.

Terissa Kerr, Mars’ foster mom, says that he’s just as lovable as can be, despite all of his ailments and hardships.

You can’t get anywhere near him without getting showered with affection.

Now all that’s left to do is to get this guy 100% healthy…

And to give him plenty of well-deserved pets!

(via The Dodo)

If you’d like to help Mars out with his vet bills, you can now purchase a shirt as part of a booster campaign. Any extra money raised will go toward helping other pups in need.

It’s wonderful to see that people are still willing to make up for others’ faults, and to care for creatures that need our help. It’s also incredible that dogs like Mars can bounce back after being treated so terribly.

There’s a home near Sacramento, CA, that has many lucky pups living under its roof, and it’s all thanks to Carmen Miller. She and her dogs share their home with her husband, son, and his girlfriend. Miller volunteers at the local animal shelter, which is where she met Kilo, but Kilo isn’t the only one who Miller saved — she’s got six adopted pups in addition to an ever-rotating crew of foster canines…

This is Kilo.

He arrived at the shelter absolutely terrified of people.

He’d been abused and neglected in his former home. It took ten hours a week with Miller to finally get the big softie comfortable with humans.

But even when Kilo had cheered up, no one wanted to adopt him.

As with many pit bulls, he was getting overlooked because of his breed’s unfair (and untrue!) bad reputation.

Then one day, the shelter took him off the floor, and Kilo was in line to be put down.

That’s when Miller stepped in and took her sweetheart home to join her three other dogs.

The dogs all immediately clicked.

The newest addition to the pooch family is Penny.

Despite the soft exterior, she’s quite a survivor.

Penny was saved from a home where the mother was killing her puppies.

Penny was the only to survive…

(That’s Roofus on the right. He’s Miller’s son’s pit.)

But she’s got the best life a dog could dream of now!

All of Miller’s pups love to snuggle with each other…

Comforting one another, given their shared treacherous pasts.

This is why it’s so important to consider adoption over all else.

These dogs are ever grateful that you saved their lives.

They make the most loving, happy dogs ever.

Miller’s ever-growing clan is just one fine example of this!

A little sibling rivalry never hurt anyone!

Dress-up is just part of their daily routine.

This pooch family is the luckiest there is.

And knowing they’re safe forever is enough to warm your soul.

If this family’s story doesn’t inspire you to change your mind about shopping for a dog, I don’t know what will! What these pups have is priceless — it’s hard to imagine (or even think about) what their fate would have been had Miller not stepped in.

Be sure to follow the whole crew on Instagram! You don’t want to miss a beat of this rowdy bunch.

Service dogs are crucial parts to countless humans’ lives. They help them cross the street, they see for them, hear for them — they can even detect when seizures are about to occur. But guide dogs help more than just physically, they’re there emotionally, too.

When one war veteran suffering from PTSD met a pit bull with his own terrifying past, the two helped each other in ways no one expected, and their story will touch your heart.

Both Phoenix and Corporal Derek Butler have a lot of pain to overcome still, but each day is made easier by the mutual company. As Butler said himself, the pit bull has already saved his life on multiple occasions. If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is.

If you’re looking for more heartwarming stories, we’ve got them…

When a woman in Indianapolis who’d been feeding a stray dog came home to quite the shocking sight, she had a moment of panic. But luckily, she had the right mind to think of the Indianapolis Fire Department before taking drastic measures into her own hands…

(via The Dodo)

Our hats off to the Indianapolis Fire Department and the Good Samaritan who gave this pit bull a loving forever home!

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