VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - "Sit, Smoke, sit," says Brad Chambers Tuesday morning.
She is bounding with energy and already learning new tricks.
"Smoke is one of the most loving dogs I have ever met," says Chambers.
But how this pit bull puppy got here is one heck of a tale.
"The stab wound penetrated so deep into her neck it damaged her trachea," says Chambers.
Smoke was allegedly stabbed by her owner on May 18. She escaped and found her way under Chambers' landscaping truck in Downtown Portsmouth. Smoke was bleeding profusely and minutes away from death when Chambers used a trauma kit he had in his truck to save her life.
"She got really sick after that. Air was escaping her chest cavity and going into her lungs and heart," he said.
Smoke was rushed to an animal hospital in Suffolk, but she eventually had to cross state lines and undergo surgery at N.C. State's College of Veterinary Medicine.
"She has recovered fully from all surgeries, and she has tons of energy, and her loyalty is solid," said Chambers.
Her road to recovery cost a whopping $15,000 - some paid for by Chambers, the other from fundraising.
"She is a stab wound survivor from a rough part of Portsmouth, and her name fits her legacy well," said Chambers.
Her owner, facing animal cruelty charges, forfeited ownership, and Chambers stepped in.
"This is a dog that needed to find a place everyone around her can benefit from her love," he said.
Miraculously, she has no lingering effects from the seven stab wounds. She's also on her way to becoming a certified therapy dog.
"We will now take extra steps to ensure her safety and her health, and I get to spend the next season of my life with her, and there are so many memories to be made," said Chambers.
