Hollywood actor and former pro-wrestler Dave Bautista recently decided to adopt a three-month-old dog who was horribly abused and the puppy's tragic story melted his heart.
According to Fox News, the ex-WWE star, known for his role as Drax the Destroyer in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise, had heard about the neglected pup, named Sage, from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, which shared her wrenching story online this month, in a post that quickly went viral.
Sage was spotted eating garbage by a good Samaritan who rushed her to the Florida animal organization, according to the post. The pooch underwent surgery to remove a metal chain that was embedded into her neck, along with skin issues and overgrown nails. Despite being in "immense pain" workers said she was wagging her tail while vets examined her.
Bautista, who is a known dog lover, decided to get involved in tough-guy-style and has personally offered USD 5,000 in cash to anyone who could provide information that could get Sage's "piece of sh-t" abusers arrested, he wrote in an Instagram post last week to his 3.6 million followers. The Humane Society also offered to pay USD 1,500.
The 52-year-old Marvel star wrote in the post, "ATTN Tampa Bay: I will personally hand USD 5000 cash to the person who gives information leading to the arrest and conviction of the sick piece of sh-t responsible for this. If you know anything please contact @humanesocietytampabay or @safek9."
As per Fox News, support quickly grew, with actor Mickey Rourke pledging USD 1,000 for information and a Tampa Bay law firm also confirmed it would match Bautista's USD 5,000. Bautista said in a video, he was disappointed that there were apparently no "solid leads" yet on the sicko.
Bautista said he decided to welcome the adorable pooch, re-named Penny, into his family and his two adopted pit bulls.
In the post, he announced, "The puppy you know as Sage today became Penny Bautista. I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my family... she is now a Bautista, and she will never be abused again in her life."
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay also announced its excitement for the newest furry member of the Bautista family. "We are so excited for Sage! She went from eating trash in a cemetery with a chain embedded around her neck to starting an AMAZING new life with Dave and 2 new Pitty siblings," the organization posted, as per Fox News.
( With inputs from ANI )
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