Dinorah Jaime was looking on Craigslist for an older English Bulldog to adopt when she came across the story of Fiona, a young pit bull who had endured a lot in her brief life.The stray dog had been hit by a bus while fleeing kids who were throwing rocks at her, then taken to the Pima Animal Care Center where one of her legs was amputated. She was adopted but later returned.
She had been placed on a short list to be euthanized when volunteers with Bridge Rescue for Dogs pulled her from the shelter to work with her to improve her chances for adoption. Her photo appeared in last week’s Caliente as Bridge sought an adopter or someone who could foster her as she recovered. Her story resonated with Jaime, an Air Force veteran who works at the student veterans center at the University of Arizona. She plans to bring Fiona into work with her because she believes others will find the dog, now called Lola, inspiring as she continues to learn how to move around on three legs. “Lola has this incredible opportunity to possibly help others after she’s encountered so much suffering in her life,” said Jaime. She believes Lola would be perfect for a new program called Soldier’s Best Friend, which works with Arizona veterans living with combat-related PTSD to train their own dogs to become service dogs. Jaime, who grew up in Tucson and spent more than a decade in the Air Force, plans to graduate from the UA next month, and apply to medical school this summer. She hopes to train Lucas, the pit bull she rescued earlier, to become her service dog while she envisions Lola becoming certified and visiting other veterans. “She’s amazing. She’s the most tender, caring creature ever. She just wants to be loved,” Jaime said. “She just deserved the chance to live the rest of her days in a safe and happy place.”
