Mom Never Thought She'd Get Over Death of Dog Until She Sees Sick Pup on Streets of Puerto Rico
Carrie Petrullo is a mother of three and a lover of pit bulls. She loves to rescue and advocate for this lovable dog breed.
“People kind of look at me sometimes like I’m crazy, and what am I doing with this pit bull and three kids,” she said. “For me, it’s just, I’m proud to walk with them.”
Her first dog, Bronx, quickly became the love of her life. Petrullo thought of Bronx as one of her own children.
When Bronx passed away, Petrullo and her kids were absolutely heartbroken.
“I really just never thought I would get over it,” Petrullo said.
She follows the Puerto Rico Dog Fund and saw a post for an injured pit bull. “We know nothing about him except that his new life starts now,” it read.
When Petrullo laid eyes on the dog, she knew she had to give him a home. “I could just see his soul, and he reminded me so much of my Bronx that I just lost it.”
The veterinarians believed that the pit bull, who Petrullo named Carlos, has a machete wound on his neck as well as bilateral dry eye.
Despite the rough shape he was in, Petrullo knew that she wanted to give Carlos a loving home.
“I immediately DM’ed them, and I said, ‘When he’s able to fly, I would love to be his mom.'”
Her family was so excited to meet Carlos when he was well enough to fly from Puerto Rico to Arizona, but he still had a long way to heal. Her daughter would often sit next to Carlos and read him a book to help him feel better. Harlem, Petrullo’s female pit bull, surprised the family by becoming best friends with Carlos.
“I think she knew that he was sick,” Petrullo said.
Carlos had many treatments to go through to help him to be healed fully.
“I think I went to almost 50 doctor appointments in five and a half months,” Petrullo explained. “I had to actually wind up starting a GoFundMe for him because I became behind on my mortgage trying to help him.”
The GoFundMe was successful and Carlos was soon pronounced healthy. The family was so happy to hear the news.
Carlos is now spreading the love in the house. He loves to run through rooms and take towels and blankets.
“He’s the happiest dog I’ve ever seen,” she said.
“I think a lot of people think of street dogs that they’re dirty, they’re disgusting. They’re not. They’re, like, perfectly imperfect, and they just need love.”
If you want to rescue dogs from Puerto Rico, follow @thepuertoricodogfund on Instagram or check out their website here.
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