Adopter Name

Jeannette

Rescue Dog’s Name

Calista

Where Did You Find Your Dog?

In July 2013, Calista was found by a police officer wandering the streets of Phoenix. She was so cautious, that he thought she was blind. He brought her to the county shelter, who contacted Mayday Pit Bull Rescue & Advocacy.

Tell Us About the Moment When You Knew that You Two Were Meant for Each Other.

We agreed to foster her, for Mayday, and she went to the vet the very next day. Her ears were severely damaged and the remaining tissue was infected and decaying. The wounds to her ears looked like bite wounds and her body was covered in old scars. It became apparent that she was likely bred and used as a bait dog. She was also emaciated and dehydrated and the veterinarian said she had been like this for a while. Her body was covered in ticks and she tested positive for nearly every tick borne disease including, ehrlichia, babesia, and anaplasma. She needed a blood transfusion, multiple surgeries to clean and debride her ears, and lots of medicine. Seeing her for the first time was gut wrenching. She smelled like death, a smell so strong it filled the entire room. You could see every bone in her body and she was so dirty that her hair appeared brown in some places. Her eyes were terrified, but relieved. We were outraged when the vet informed us it took weeks or months for her health to deteriorate like this. We became even more angry when they told us the best guess was she was used as a bait dog. We were outraged that someone allowed or created this, but then we looked in her eyes. She lay on that table with the vet’s hand on her side and she was not angry.

How Has Your Hero Changed Your Life?

We learned a lot about ourselves that day, and Calista has continued to teach us every day since then. One of the most important lessons she taught us, is that forgiveness is about healing yourself and that anger that motivates action is helpful, but anger that breeds hatred for others is not. Similar to her ability for forgiveness, Calista continues to triumph over her fears. In the beginning, she feared everything, including food. At her own pace, she conquered many of her fears and if you watched her eat now, you would never guess that the sound of kibble in her bowl once terrified her. Going through this process with her, we learned that when we accept where we are at this moment, we are able to overcome anything we want. Calista continues to be an inspiration to us, and others. She is an amazing indication of the resilient, loving, courageous, nature of the Pit Bull and we are beyond fortunate to have her as a part of our family.