Rescued bait dog now fighting cancer

A rescued bait dog is once again fighting for his life, only this time the danger is cancer. Diesel, originally named Frankie, is a seven-year-old male pit bull that spent the first year of his life undergoing extreme pain and torture. He was used as a bait dog in Miami, Florida. Luckily, his abusers were caught, and he was confiscated and taken to Miami-Dade Animal Shelter.

When he arrived, he had bite marks on his face and burns on his body. Someone had poured gasoline on his body and then burned him.  He was also undernourished, heart-worm positive and had patches of fur missing from his body.

Despite all the cruelty inflicted on him, Diesel still loved people. When Sunshine State Shar Pei Rescue (SSSR) learned of his plight, they immediately stepped up to rescue him. During his time with SSSR he was rehabilitated physically and emotionally. He also received special training to learn how to be a companion animal and not one used for bait in dog fighting.

Long time animal advocate and rescuer Anastasia Devaris, who has rescued many other dogs with physical or emotional ailments, fell in love with Diesel and adopted him. She was in tears knowing the torture he had endured and from what he was recovering. Anastasia changed his name to Diesel and promised him a life of love, happiness and health and that he would never be abused again.

Now Diesel is once again fighting for his life. He started getting bumps on his legs which the vet at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital in Tampa, Florida started removing in July. As the bumps started increasing, the vet did aspirations, removed the lumps and sent them for a biopsy along with blood work.In October 2019, Diesel was diagnosed with stage 2 Mass Cell Body Cancer.

Diesel is trusting Anastasia to do right by him, and she will no matter what. According to the oncologist at Blue Pearl Pet l Hospital in Tampa, Diesel will get an On-Vinblastine injection every week for four weeks along with a daily prednisone pill.After the first four weeks they will wean him off by giving him the chemo injection every other week for four weeks. Then Blue Pearl will recheck him and determine a game plan depending on how he’s doing.
If that chemo doesn’t work, they will start him on a different one.

Once Diesel is done with his treatments, they will check his CBC blood work and see where to go from there. If he responds well, then they will just keep taking him to the clinic for CBC blood work every so many weeks.

Thanksgiving is coming and Diesel has so much to be thankful. He is thankful that he was rescued from a horrid existence and his life saved; he’s lucky Anastasia found him and took him in, and he is thankful to the staff at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital and the oncologist at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital for keeping him alive.

A special fundraiser has been set up to help pay for the chemo treatments.

https://www.facebook.com/donate/2320599211385394/?fundraiser_source=external_url.

Or donations for his treatment can be called into Blue Pearl Pet Hospital to 813-933-8944.  Please indicate for Anastasia Devaris’s dog Diesel.

Please help Diesel get through this second battle for his life. He is a young dog and deserves to live a long, happy life.

Yesterday: Puppies deformed because of cruel backyard breeder’s neglect

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