It’s hard to believe how cruel some people can be to dogs. A sweet dog named Riona went through a terrible time after being set on fire by her owner last year.
But now, almost exactly one year later, Riona is finally moving to her new home.
Last June, people in Nutbush, Tennessee, saw something shocking. Riona, a pitbull mix, was running down the street covered in flames. The strong smell of gas made it clear that someone had purposely set her on fire.
“All you could smell was gas,” said Mallory Mclemore of Bluff City Veterinary Specialists to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“She was burned and covered in diesel fuel. Witness statements confirmed she was set on fire,” Ginger Natoli, founder of Tails of Hope Dog Rescue, told Newsweek. “We also have ring camera footage from a neighbor showing her running while on fire.”
Riona lost one of her ears, but thankfully her left eye was saved thanks to emergency medical care. She was taken in by Tails of Hope Dog Rescue and treated at Bluff City Veterinary Specialists. She received full-body wraps twice a day to help heal her skin.
A TikTok video about Riona’s story went viral, getting millions of views and gaining sympathy for her from people all over the world.
Riona started a long journey to heal, undergoing several skin grafts to treat the severe fourth-degree burns across her body. Despite the trauma she went through, Riona was said to have remained in good spirits throughout her recovery.
“She’s always wagging her tail,” Mclemore said. “That’s what makes it even worse, I think. It’s never OK, but she’s so sweet, and for someone to do this to her… She just loves everyone.”
“She’s actually kind of cute with one ear,” Natoli told the Commercial Appeal. “It adds to her personality and makes her even cuter.”
Tails of Hope kept sharing updates about Riona’s recovery, and supporters sent donations and gifts for her.
At the same time, 43-year-old Quishon Brown was arrested for allegedly setting Riona on fire. He was charged with misdemeanor assault and two felonies: aggravated cruelty to animals and setting fire to personal property. The case is still waiting to go to trial.
According to a Facebook post, Riona’s story also helped a new animal cruelty bill get passed in Tennessee.
Months went by, and Riona’s condition slowly but surely improved. Recently, nearly a year after she was set on fire, there’s been a heartwarming update to her story: Riona is finally going to her new home!
Tails of Hope shared that they would take a ten-hour road trip to bring Riona to her forever home.
“Our goal was to find her a forever home, and that’s exactly what we did,” Natoli told the Commercial Appeal. “Riona will have other dogs to play with, children to play with, a big yard, and a family that understands her injuries and has medical experience.”
“Riona’s story isn’t ending; it’s really just beginning,” the rescue wrote on Facebook. “We’ve all been a part of this miracle, our ‘warrior’ girl.”
In a reminder that the work of animal rescues never stops, Tails of Hope shared that right after Riona left for her new home, they took in another rescue dog who was also a burn victim. “There is always another in need,” they wrote. “Now we get to be part of another story.”
It was terrible for this sweet dog to go through such a horrible experience, but we’re so happy that, a year later, Riona is finally going to her new home!