Dogs are truly man’s best friend, ever deserving of our love and affection. They are always there for us, and, likewise, we should be there for them. However, unfortunately, that wasn’t what Lilo the Pit Bull puppy got. She went unloved and chained to a tree in the yard for her first eight months on this planet.

Then, something even more startling happened. It triggered a massive chain of events that led to an unbelievable rescue attempt—with her life on the line! What happened to little Lilo? Keep reading to discover the redemption of one poor dog from the saddest of circumstances to a new and improved life.

1. Strange Beings

On one rainy day on Phillips Avenue in Greensboro, North Carolina, strange beings were beginning to show up in numbers. It was a wooded neighborhood, full of deciduous trees. And these ominous shapes above were a portent of terrible things to come.

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A terrible vulture flock was circling the sky. This is not a normal sight for a residential area. Closer inspection revealed the fact that they were circling around a local house. But why? This couldn’t be good.

2. Stranded

When one inquisitive neighbor looked into the strange happenings, he found something that he just couldn’t believe. The flock of vultures had already landed in his neighbor’s yard and were sitting around, waiting, circled around a little puppy. This stranded puppy was completely still.

Even if this puppy was still breathing, it didn’t look like it cared about the birds, but its expression told the neighbor that it was in a much worse situation than he could have ever imagined. The poor thing was chained to a tree and left in a plastic dog house, her only protection against the harsh elements of winter.

3. Worried

This neighbor started to get worried about the puppy, a little Pit Bull named Lilo. They weren’t even sure if the owners knew that there was a dog chained up in their back yard. Based on how bad she looked, they were left assuming that they must have had no clue.

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By her meager looks and frame, it seems like she had spent most of her life chained to that tree, unable to escape. For her entire eight months of life, she probably hadn’t ever gone inside and had only ever received minimal human contact, let alone affection.

4. Making The Call

The vultures had been circling around Lilo for an entire week at this point and for good reason. She appeared to be on the brink, especially since the winter was so cold and she had very little shelter to keep her warm.

This led Lilo’s neighbor to take action and call the ASPCA, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Nevertheless, the neighbor had no idea whether they could come into to save poor Lilo’s life.

5. The Vultures

This noble person related all the facts to animal control about the little puppy chained outside in the winter and that mean vultures were surrounding her, ready to pounce. She was sure why the vultures were there. They were just waiting for the right moment…

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They knew that Lilo wouldn’t make it much longer. The life was draining out of her. They were hungry for their next meal. This was not the fate that the kind neighbor wanted for the pitiable creature.

6. A Picture

The animal control guys pulled up to the backyard, and they were shocked to find the dire scene. A ton of vultures were huddled around the abandoned doggy, and two were even perched onto of her little plastic home, her only shelter from the cold and rain.

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One reporter took a picture of the harrowing moment, a picture that told a million words and that would eventually prove vital for getting Lilo the treatment that she needed. But she was certainly not out of the woods yet. They would need a miracle.

7. Birds of Prey

Vultures are birds of prey that scavenge on the carcasses of dead animals. Sometimes they will kill wounded or sick ones, but they usually prefer those who have already lost their lives. They have an uncanny sense for when an animal is on death’s door, and this is why we often see vultures circling above dying animals.

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From a scientific perspective, vultures are incredible animals that have amazingly strong stomach acid that allows them to digest bacteria that could wreck you or me, such as botulinum toxin, hog cholera bacteria, and anthrax bacteria. One of their defense mechanisms is vomiting, and, depending on their stomach contents, their puke can prove lethal.

8. Given Up Hope

Lilo didn’t even have the heart to chase the nasty vultures away from her. This Pit Bull puppy had all but given up hope. Her life was utterly meaningless, and she had nobody to love. That is, until this one fateful day.

When the animal control officers arrived, their first order of business was to shoo away the birds of prey. They found that the dog was seriously malnourished and so obviously neglected that they had no choice but to take her into custody. But first, they knew that they had to leave one important thing behind. Can you guess what it was?

9. A Note

They decided to leave a note for Lilo’s owners to inform them of why their dog was taken from them. They informed them of what shelter Lilo would be taken to so if they were so inclined, they could come to pick her up when they were ready to get their act together.

But still, they had no idea just who the puppy belonged to. And why was she in such a bad way? It seems like nobody gave a hoot about this wretched little girl. Was that true? Or was there something still more terrible that they would soon discover?

10. At The Shelter

The Guilford County Animal Control then packed up Lilo and drove her over to a shelter that would take care of her, nurse her back to health, and feed her a healthy diet. A few days after she arrived in her new home, something incredible happened. Everyone was blown away, especially the officers who had discovered Lilo in her terrible condition.

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Lilo’s owners called the shelter and told the workers that they would be coming to fetch Lilo in the coming days. They promised that they would take much better care of her. But could they really be trusted?

11. Time Passes

Days went by. Weeks later, Lilo’s owners were still nowhere to be found. Time passed by, but for Lilo, this time was certainly more pleasant than any of her old life. She deserved much better than she had gotten before.

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Still, although the shelter fed her and took care of her, a shelter is far from a pleasant home for a puppy. Lilo needed to become part of a loving family in a nice home where she could run and play as much as she wanted.

12. The Pit Bull Issue

One big problem, though, for Lilo was that she was a Pit Bull. You see, one rule that many shelters have, including this one, is that they refuse to allow adoptions of Pit Bulls. They have a bad reputation for becoming mean or ferocious dogs.

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After two weeks in the shelter, concerns began to grow. How long would she be allowed to stay in the shelter? What would they do with her considering the rules?

13. Bad Reputation

The reason for this rule is that some people have a bad view of Pit Bulls. This is because some people abuse them, make them fight, or train them to be mean and violent guard dogs.

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As a breed, Pits are incredibly high-energy dogs, and so they need regular exercise in order to get out their accumulated energy. In reality, these prejudiced views against them are merely an unfair bias that just isn’t true.

14. A Hard Life

In fact, these biases couldn’t be further from the truth. If a Pit Bull is properly trained and raised with a loving family, they can be incredibly sweet. But this wasn’t any solace to little Lilo, whose hard life just wouldn’t stop throwing punches in her direction.

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Shelters keep stray animals for a certain number of days so that owners get a chance to come to pick them up, but, for dogs that are abandoned by their people, they may be euthanized at any time if they aren’t adopted. This left few options for poor Lilo; her owners weren’t going to come to get her, and, because of the ‘no adoption’ policy, her condition was almost as bad as if she was left with the vultures.

15. A Shining Light

However, there was one shining light in the dark of night that could save lovely little Lilo. There are special organizations that save certain breeds, especially those with higher risks like Pit Bulls. They came to the rescue just in time.

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The Merit Pit Bull Foundation arrived and looked at Lilo, hoping that they could one day find her a nice home. If this incredible foundation hadn’t come along, then Lilo would never have experienced the coming redemption that was in store for her.

16. A Foster Home

With the help of the Merit Pit Bull Foundation, Lilo was placed in a foster home until they could locate a permanent residence. Once they saw the heart-breaking picture of the dog among the vultures, a kind couple named Keana Lynch and Travis Henley decided to welcome her into their home.

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At long last, Lilo’s life was no longer at risk and she was in a safe and loving home. Even if it was only a foster home, she was being treated like a dog ought to be treated for the very first time. Then, suddenly, another miracle happened.

17. Welcome to the Family

Keana and Travis just couldn’t help falling in love with Lilo. After all, who could resist the charms of this super cute Pit pup? They decided to take their relationship one step further; they decided to welcome Lilo to the family.

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But it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows. At first, Lilo had a hard time being sociable and wasn’t completely prepared for living in a home. “She had no clue what to do in the house. She was not house-trained, and she didn’t really know what to do with toys,” explained Keana to reporters.

18. Part of the Pack

Despite these difficulties, it didn’t take long for Lilo to become an important part of the pack. In addition to the two humans in her family, she also got two dog friends to pal around with Gemma, a Pit and Terrier mix, and Gypsy, a Maltese.

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These three lady dogs quickly became fast friends, so Lilo always had someone to play with. This is great for any dog. At last, Lilo was happy and healthy. But another huge and unexpected factor was at play here.

19. Training Grounds

Once she had lived with Keana and Travis for some time, Lilo’s mood improved alongside her health. She gained weight, and the nasty skin infections that she was harboring finally went away.

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This meant it was time for Lilo to hit the training grounds. Keana and Travis knew that it would be a long and hard process. Especially since they didn’t know what trauma the poor pup had endured at the hands of her previous owners, they knew that triggering her to violence was a real risk.

20. A Happy Puppy

Still, within a year’s time, Lilo went from death’s door and surrounded by vultures to being a happy puppy with a loving family and two dog friends. Seems like a success story to us.

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Look at that face! She’s always smiling. She’s also reacting very well to her training and has become extremely well behaved for an animal with such a hard life. Keep reading to find out what heart-wrenching words her mother had to say about her. Careful—you might cry!

21. Her Personality

Keana, Lilo’s mother, had this to say: “She has such a great personality—she’s always happy, always giving kisses.” Keana and Travis both say that Lilo is a “cuddle monster” because she’s always trying to get closer and craving human interaction. This is a complete 360 from when they first received her into their home.

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What a huge difference from the beginning of her life! During her early days, she had little to no human contact. It would have been a great day for her if her previous owner had so much as remembered to feed her and give her water. Still, regardless of the drastic improvements in her life, past ghosts continued to haunt her in heartbreaking ways…

22. The Ghosts of the Past

“She still had issues from her past,” said Keana. “I cannot leave her in the backyard by herself, she comes to the door and cries. She really just wants to be with you. She loves and appreciates what you do for her. She’s a sweet baby.”

In spite of this difficult past, Lilo maintains a positive outlook and loves her life. It would have been easy for her to turn into an angry and violent Pit Bull with a vendetta against all mankind. However, because of her naturally kind disposition, all she wants is love. You won’t believe what she loves the most!

23. Snuggles

“She has never held a grudge for her past and loves everyone she meets. She prefers to be held like a baby and snuggled with any chance she can get. Over the past year, Lilo has become a healthy vibrant girl with all kinds of funny behaviors,” continued Keana.

It was around Christmas when Lilo was saved from a terrible, vulture-filled yard, and she was officially adopted on March 4th. Since that great day, Lilo enjoys going to training classes and playing with toys, both in the house and in the yard. This great dog also dedicated herself to helping those in need.

24. Ambassador

Since her rescue date, Lilo has served as an ambassador for Pit Bulls everywhere. Her and Keana go to schools in order to inform kids that Pit Bulls are loving dogs and not the scary monstrosities that people perceived them to be.

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They tell them that, as long as they have a responsible and patient trainer, then Pit Bulls can be a great option for any human. The children also get some fun time with Lilo and this directly teaches them how loving and gentle Pits can really be. Lilo is actually an incredible dog, and her story is so cute!

25. Therapy Dog

And it gets better! Lilo is so sweet that she has also become a therapy dog, just like her sister, Gemma. Therapy dogs give comfort, love, and affection to people in difficult situations, whether it’s in a hospital, a school, a retirement home, or after a natural disaster.

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The difference between a therapy dog and a service dog is that they don’t physically assist people. Instead, they are there for emotional support. Lilo also helps out as a Read Education Assistance dog. In this position, she encourages kids to read and promotes literacy. But her story is still far from over.

26. The Picture

“She’s definitely part of the family,” said Keana. “I’m thankful that the News & Radio photographer took that photo. He changed her life.” According to her, the picture of Lilo among the vultures is what convinced her to bring the pup into her home.

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If it weren’t for the picture, Keana may have not found Lilo and may not have adopted this great pooch. It’s certainly a good thing that the photo showed up in the local paper. There’s, even more, to say about how Lilo got saved ahead!

27. Merit Pit Bull Foundation

This benevolent foundation was the driving force behind rescuing Lilo the puppy from the shelter that would have otherwise euthanized her. It was founded in 2012 by a little group of loving volunteers. Their stated mission is to “improve the lives of bully-type dogs and the people who love them.”

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This foundation joins Lilo on her quest to educate the public about Pit Bulls in addition to their other work in rescuing dogs and finding them loving homes. They also offer training for owners who want to be responsible for raising a good doggy. They oppose all breed-specific legislation, as they say, its just another form of bigotry that is directed at these “bully-type” dogs. But there’s more.

28. Puppy Mills

The Merit Pit Bull Foundation also tries to convince potential dog owners to adopt from a shelter or other rescue organizations instead of purchasing them at a pet store. Tens of thousands of innocent animals are put to death in shelters every year because they simply can’t find homes for them.

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Most dogs found in pet shops come from puppy mills or for-profit dog farms. These are generally cruel and inhumane places that mistreat their animals. They are often overcrowded and force dogs to reproduce too early and too often. If this doesn’t make you want to take a trip to your local animal shelter, then the next slide certainly will.

29. The Raids

In 2014, a raid happened at a puppy mill in Tennessee. Over 100 dogs were saved from absolutely dreadful conditions. One rescue person said, “the dogs were suffering from untreated, painful eye infections, respiratory conditions, dental issues, severe matting that limited their mobility and vision, and urine-soaked, feces-caked fur.”

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During such raids, perpetrators are often arrested and convicted of animal cruelty. This is why the ASPCA’s mission “is to remove these dogs from a life of neglect, help them become healthy, and eventually find them safe and loving homes.” And—don’t worry—you can help too!

30. Choose Adoption

One court case defined puppy mills as “a dog breeding operation in which the health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits.” Furthermore, a lack of regulation in the United States doesn’t help the animal industry’s situation.

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In over 21 states, there are absolutely no legal regulations for puppy mills; essentially, anything goes, no matter how cruel. If you are feeling some kind of way about Lilo’s story, then the best thing that you can do is to choose adoption!