But almost exactly a year after that horrific incident, Riona is finally going to her new home.
Last June, residents in Nutbush, Tennessee witnessed a shocking site as Riona, a pitbull mix, ran down the street engulfed in flames. The smell of gas made it clear that she had been intentionally set on fire.
“All you could smell was gas,” Mallory Mclemore of Bluff City Veterinary Specialists told Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“She was burnt and covered in diesel fuel… It confirmed she was set on fire via witness statements,” Ginger Natoli, founder of the Tails of Hope Dog Rescue, told Newsweek. “We have obtained ring cam footage from a neighbor that also shows her running in a ball of flames.”
Riona’s ear was burnt off, but thankfully her left eye was saved after emergency medical response. She was taken in by Tails of Hope Dog Rescue, and received medical treatments at Bluff City Veterinary Specialists. She was given twice daily full body wraps to protect her skin.
A TikTok video of Riona’s story went viral with millions of views, garnering sympathy for Riona around the world.
Riona began a long road to recovery, receiving a series of skin grafts to treat the fourth degree burns all over her body. While she was traumatized by the ordeal, Riona was also said to be in good spirits throughout her recovery.
“She’s just always wagging her tail,” Mclemore said. “That’s what makes it even worse, I guess. Not that it would ever be OK, but just being so sweet and for somebody to do something like this to her. She just loves everybody.”
“She’s actually kind of cute with one ear,” Natoli told the Commercial Appeal. “It makes her personality cute.”
