An injured pit bull was discovered walking the streets of Phoenix, Arizona, four years ago by a police officer. Her health was in such bad shape that it was amazing she was still alive. In dog fights, the dog was the bait.

The person who ultimately adopted Callista, Jeannette Goldsberry, stated to The Dodo:

She was malnourished and infested with ticks. She was so filthy and disfigured that I mistakenly believed she was brown and blind at the same time. She had many bite marks on her ears, including one that had been fully severed and another that was rotting and degenerating.

After being saved by a police officer, she was taken to a nearby shelter, where volunteers got in touch with Jeannette and her husband to ask if they could provide her a temporary place to live.

said Jeannette

“We agreed for some reason, so my husband and I went, picked her up from the shelter, and we brought her right away to the ER vet,” she said.

Veterinarians gave up on him having a chance of survival.

said Jeannette

She had a number of tick-borne diseases, and she was anemic. They described it as the worst they had ever seen throughout the rescue. She genuinely smelt like death, which was disgusting.

The dog persevered in spite of everything, though.

said Jeannette

Despite the fact that she had every right to be angry, you could tell she was afraid and that she was also hopeful in her eyes. She was incredibly forgiving despite the fact that we were outraged and horrified that this would happen to her.

After being admitted to a hospital for veterinary monitoring, Jeannette and her husband made the decision to name the puppy.

said Jeannette

We named her Calista, which means “the most beautiful,” because when you rescue a dog, you always want to give it a name so that if it dies, it will have one.

By surviving, this courageous dog gave everyone a heartwarming surprise, and Jeannette and her husband visited her every day.