CINCINNATI — As the holiday season approaches, Rescued & Ready animal shelter is looking for a special family to keep their Promise.

"She's very big on watching everything around her, and I think a veteran would appreciate that, because she can kind of (be) a battle buddy for them," said Rescued & Ready dog trainer Corinne Hurst.

Promise is a gray pit bull-type dog rescued from a house where her new caretakers believe dog fighting had taken place. At the time, she was covered in bite wounds and about 35 pounds underweight. Photos from the home where she was found show a dog collar attached to a chain with what appear to be dog bones nearby.

"She was, what we assume was, a bait dog situation,"Rescued & Ready director Mandy Franceschina said. "Covered in wounds, fractured front leg, lots of swelling — kind of a mess."

She spent the first three months of her new life on antibiotics to clear up a variety of infections. These days, Hurst said, Promise is healthy and loves to give slobbery kisses.

"Super smart, learned all the commands — was honestly just too friendly," Franceschina said. "She's like, 'Everybody's my friend.'"

Rescued & Ready is a non-profit organization that trains rescue pit bulls to work as service animals for veterans. WCPO reported nearly a year ago on the placement of a dog named Echo with Marine Corps veteran Samuel Deeds.

"She has definitely improved my quality of life as well as my family's and we look forward to (our) continued journey as we continue to heal from post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and my mobility issues," Deeds said.

Now, the organization is looking for someone to welcome Promise into their family. Despite her past, Rescued & Ready staff said Promise is ready to start a new life far away from that backyard battlefield.

"Through all that, she loves humans, she wants to be with them all the time," Franceschina said.

Veterans interested in adding Promise to their family should contact Rescued & Ready on their website or on their Facebook page.

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