Mama Jade, a terribly abused Pit Bull with breast cancer from Tennessee, got another chance at life after a posting about her plight went viral.
These days, dog owners frequently turn to Craigslist to ask for help locating missing dogs. But when a severely abused Pit Bull showed up on Christianna Willis’ doorstep, she turned to the site to say she’d found the dog — and there was no way she was giving her back.
Willis, who works at an animal hospital, said she immediately noticed Mama Jade’s injuries, including bite marks and scars. She also had no teeth and showed signs of “relentless” breeding. She stayed up with the dog for much of the night, trying to comfort her. Then Willis took the pooch to work with her, where the other employees at PetMed fell in love with her. Sadly, though, they also discovered that Mama Jade was suffering from breast cancer, and Willis didn’t have the funding to have her treated.
She was so upset that last week she decided to write a Craiglist post to Mama Jade’s former owner titled “Your pitbull found me and I’m not giving her back.”
In the post, which is no longer available on the site, Willis detailed Mama Jade’s condition and what she’d done to help her.
“Over the last 3 days, our staff has grown to love this beautiful and broken soul,” Willis wrote. “Skin and bones, we feed her constantly but only foods that are soft enough for her.”
An Outpouring of Love
Willis said she was planning to be there to comfort Mama Jade as she was put down the next day — but something happened. The Craigslist ad went viral, and emails from people and charities all over the country poured in, many of them offering to help pay for cancer treatment or hospice care.
“The response has been overwhelming and has restored a lot of my faith in humanity,” Willis wrote in an update to the ad. “One thing is for certain … Mama Jade is getting yet another chance at life.”
In an update on Mama Jade’s Facebook page on Tuesday, Willis said that the dog needs a double mastectomy, which has an increased risk because she tested positive for the beginning stages of heartworm.
Willis, who says she’s “fallen completely in love with this pup,” is working with Music City Mutts, a rescue group, to raise money for Mama Jade’s testing and treatment. They’ve raised $23,700 so far.
Written and originally published by Vetstreet.com, a pet website written by top veterinarians, pet health experts and professional journalists dedicated to giving you the most accurate information possible, so you can keep your dogs and cats healthy. The key is a well-informed owner and an expert veterinary care team.
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