Remi the pit bull was found near death last week, emaciated and covered in the sorts of wounds that indicate his young life had been full of violence and cruelty, short on care or love.
"He was lying over there in the weeds where someone found him and he was just cold and lifeless. I really thought when I picked him up he was dead,” Russ "Wolf" Harper, a humane law enforcement officer and founder of the Justice Humane Society, told a Philadelphia Fox affiliate. (Harper is the person holding Remi in the video at the top of this page.)
Now, the little dog's got a world of people rooting for him to heal. Which he is, bit by bit.
"A little better every day," Harper said to The Huffington Post via a spokeswoman. "He’s taken a couple steps, is starting to eat a little bit."
On Oct. 26, Remi was discovered in a lot, in Chester, Pennsylvania -- about a half-hour from Philadelphia -- by two unidentified teenage girls, who called 911.
A police officer came to the scene and found Remi in bad shape. From the nature of his injuries, it's thought that Remi was forced to fight until he couldn't any longer; his previous owners then dumped him.
“He was just lying there, all curled up,” police officer Robert Ticknor, who responded to the call, said to the Daily Times News. “I could see he was losing bodily fluids.”
Ticknor called Harper -- who gave Remi a name, on the spot, not wanting the dog to die without one -- and got him to a veterinary hospital, where he was given lifesaving treatment and a cautiously optimistic prognosis.
"He’s not out of the woods yet. He has shown some signs of improvement since he first came in so that is encouraging, but it's still touch and go,” veterinarian Leanne Thompson told Fox late last week.
As of Monday, Remi remains on the mend at the Keystone Veterinary Emergency Clinic.
This once-abused dog now has fans the world over who are hoping that Remi pulls through, and that his abusers are caught -- a $2,500 reward has been offered for tips leading to arrests.
"We know the community is pulling together and sending tons of prayers Remi’s way," Harper said.
Given that his medical condition is still so uncertain, it's too soon to say just how extensive, or expensive, Remi's medical care will turn out to be. (You can donate on PayPal, using the address sales@justice-rescue.com.)
If he makes it through his treatment, but still can't live safely in a home, then Remi will be what's called a sanctuary dog, "that will forever be in our care," said Harper. "Justice Rescue never leaves an animal behind, no matter what."
Still, his champions are already envisioning a normal life for Remi.
Somewhere down the road, hopefully not too far, they'd like to see him all fixed up, physically and emotionally, and then get to be someone's cherished pet, instead of their victim.
It'd be a wonderful turn for Remi. And for the people he's touched.
"It’s the happiest feeling, when we can re-home a dog that we helped find balance and peace, to live his life the way he want meant to," Harper said. "A dog that's been abused, who learns how to love and trust again, teaches us forgiveness."
This article has been updated to attribute to Harper comments that had previously been attributed to his spokeswoman.
Get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share!
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