In February of 2012, a chance encounter changed two lives forever.

It happened just two blocks from an emergency animal hospital. A tiny, mangled puppy—barely three months old—had been wrapped in heavy plastic and tossed from a moving car. Her body was shredded, her wounds too horrific to show, and her spirit on the brink of breaking.

But she was still alive.

Her rescuer didn’t hesitate. Scooping her up, they raced to the nearby vet, unsure if she would make it through the night.

She had been used as a “bait dog”, a living tool to train adult fighting dogs. Her ear had been cut with scissors left dangling by a thread to “get the blood flowing.”

Her jaw had been ripped apart, and her small body bore the signs of long-term neglect. Barely fed, caged, and abused—she had been kept alive just long enough to suffer.

She weighed only 12 pounds.

The following month was spent in round-the-clock emergency care, split between two hospitals. Her body needed healing, and her pain was managed with constant morphine.

One by one, each infection, wound, and broken piece of her was treated, and slowly, the little dog who had been so brutally discarded began to fight back.

One day, during a quiet visit, something incredible happened.

Despite everything—despite her shattered body and the morphine drip still taped to her leg—she pulled herself out of the kennel, step by agonizing step, and crawled into her rescuer’s lap. Her tail wagged softly.

At that moment, it was clear: she had chosen her person.

She came home not long after that. The road ahead was long and exhausting, but she faced it with the same quiet strength that had gotten her through the worst.

Her rescuer gave everything—a savings account, a checking account, and the jacket she had been wrapped in the day she was found. And they’d do it all again.

Because it was worth it. Every penny. Every hour. Every heartbreak.

They named her Moxie—and it fits. Now, six years later, she’s a 62-pound one-eared wonder mutt, a social butterfly who has completely transformed. Her spirit is unshakable, her joy infectious, and her love boundless.

Moxie didn’t just survive. She thrived.

And her story didn’t end with rescue—it started something new. Her humans now work in animal rescue, ensuring more animals like Moxie get the second chance they deserve.

Beside her in photos is Charlie, the cat, who is part of the family Moxie never knew she needed.

From discarded to deeply loved, Moxie’s life proves that even the most broken hearts can heal—and sometimes, the strongest love grows from the deepest wounds.