The day Kelly picked up the dog she adopted was one that she’ll never forget. She knew that he was the perfect dog for her and looked forward to spoiling him. As soon as Kelly got the dog into her car, she just knew something was a bit off. Something that made her make a phone call to the cops.
Even though Kelly already had a dog named Brewer, she was thinking about getting another one. Kelly refused to buy a dog, though. She was firm in her belief of saving a dog that needed a family. Luckily, she found the perfect dog for her. He was a white pit bull mix named Rocco. Kelly immediately got the ball rolling so she could bring Rocco home.
Kelly had been searching Facebook when she found Rocco. He was being sold for $50 by the roommate of Rocco’s owner, so she never did speak to the owner. Kelly really wanted Rocco, so she kind of just let it slide that she wasn’t able to speak to the person responsible for the pup. She offered to buy Rocco and waited patiently for the day she could bring him home.
Kelly fell in love with Rocco as soon as she met him. He just so happened to be the sweetest dog she had ever met. Kelly put Rocco in her car and they drove away. They were only together for a few minutes before Kelly could tell there was something wrong with Rocco. There was an unbearable smell coming from her new pup.
There are a couple of reasons why a dog might smell bad. Obviously, one of those reasons is lack of hygiene. It was good possibility that Rocco hadn’t had a bath. Another cause of bad odor in pups is the natural bacteria they produce in their paws; it kind of smells like Fritos! Maybe Kelly was a bit more sensitive to the smell, or maybe the smell was something that should alarm her.
The smell bothered Kelly to the point that she had to pull over. She got out of the car and walked over to where Rocco was to investigate the smell. At a quick glance, she still didn’t know where that horrible smell was coming from. Then she took off Rocco’s harness. Finally, Kelly found the unbelievable source of the smell.
On Rocco’s chest, there was a huge gash, about 6 inches long and 1.5 inches deep. The injury was completely hidden by the harness, so Kelly hadn’t noticed it. It was obvious that the smell was from the wound because it was badly infected. Rocco had to be taken to the vet as soon as possible.
It was fortunate for Rocco that the infection could be controlled. The vet gave Rocco some antibiotics and pain reliever and told Kelly that as soon as the infection was gone, Rocco would need surgery. Kelly was grateful to hear that Rocco was going to recover. But she still had absolutely no idea how Rocco got the injury and who was responsible for it.
The vet closely examined Rocco. She realized that his injury was caused by the harness he was wearing. The vet told Kelly that Rocco had most likely been wearing the harness since he was a puppy, and while he grew, the harness became embedded into his skin. Obviously, Kelly was extremely mad, so she called the woman who sold her Rocco.
When Kelly called the woman to tell her about Rocco’s injury, she was completely caught off guard. The woman panicked and tried to bribe Kelly by promising that the owner would pay the medical bills. Kelly, knowing that Rocco was clearly abused, decided to call the police, instead.
When the owner was contacted by the police and Kelly, he tried to say he had no idea where the injury came from. He said that he didn’t even know that it was there. He claimed the harness was for Rocco’s safety, so he didn’t run away. It was too bad for him and his roommate that the court didn’t believe them.
The court found Rocco’s previous owner, and his roommate, guilty of mistreatment of animals. They were fined $1,500. Even though she wasn’t sure if Rocco’s medical bills would be paid for, Kelly didn’t care. She was just grateful that justice had been served for Rocco and that he was no longer in a situation where he was being abused by those people.
Rocco immediately loved Kelly, and now she couldn’t imagine being without Rocco. “I have never felt this strong of a bond or this much love from any living thing,” she told AnimalKind. Even though Rocco was clear of any immediate danger, his wound was definitely not healed. His road to recovery would be slow, but he had his new mom there by his side.
Kelly was told by the vet that it would take two months for Rocco’s injury to be healed enough to be closed. Until then, Kelly would be responsible for keeping his bandages clean, and making sure that the wound didn’t get infected again. The process was painful for Rocco, and a lot of work for Kelly, but it was all out of love. And all of the work paid off in the end.
Rocco eventually had the surgery he needed, and he healed up quite nicely. The pain that they experienced was finally behind them and they were able to enjoy their new life together. After a year, Rocco still has a scar on his chest, but regardless of that, Rocco is extremely happy and absolutely adores Kelly. And Kelly will always have his scar to remind her to speak up for animals.