It’s truly unbelievable how ᴄʀᴜᴇʟ some people can be to dogs. A sweet dog named Riona suffered as much as anybody after being ʙʀᴜᴛᴀʟʟʏ sᴇᴛ ᴏɴ ғɪʀᴇ by her owner Quishon Brown last year.
But almost exactly a year after that ʜᴏʀʀɪғɪᴄ ɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ, Riona is finally going to her new home.
Last June, residents of the Nutbush community in Memphis witnessed a sʜᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ site as Riona, a pitbull mix, ran down the street ᴇɴɢᴜʟғᴇᴅ ɪɴ ғʟᴀᴍᴇs. The smell of gas made it clear that she had been intentionally sᴇᴛ ᴏɴ ғɪʀᴇ.
@justice4riona Humans covered her in gas and set her on fire. She was running down the street covered in flames. Yet all she wants to do is to love on everybody! Share her story! #justice4riona #tailsofhopedogrescue #dogsoftiktok #dogrescue #shareherstory ♬ Surrender – Natalie Taylor
“All you could smell was gas,” Mallory Mclemore of Bluff City Veterinary Specialists told Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“She was ʙᴜʀɴᴛ and covered in diesel fuel… It confirmed she was sᴇᴛ ᴏɴ ғɪʀᴇ 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 ғʟᴀᴍᴇs.”
Though Riona’s ear was burnt off, 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. Riona was traumatized by the ordeal, but she 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.”
Tails of Hope continued to share updates of Riona’s recovery, and supporters sent in donations and gifts for Riona.
Meanwhile, 43-year-old Quishon Brown was arrested for allegedly sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʀɪᴏɴᴀ ᴏɴ ғɪʀᴇ. The case is currently awaiting trial.
As per a Facebook post, Riona’s story also helped a new animal ᴄʀᴜᴇʟᴛʏ bill pass in Tennessee.
Months passed, and Riona’s condition improved. And recently, almost exactly a year after the incident, there has been an inspiring update to Riona’s story: she’s finally going to her new home!
According to Tails of Hope, they would be embarking on an ten-hour road trip to bring Riona to her new forever home.
“Our goal was to get her a forever home, and that’s exactly what we found,” Natoli told the Commercial Appeal. “Riona has other dogs to play with, she has children to play with, she’s got a big yard to play in, she’s got a family that has experience in the medical field and an understanding of what her injuries were.”
“Riona’s story is not coming to an end, in fact it is really just beginning,” the rescue wrote on Facebook. “We have all been a part of this miracle, our ‘warrior’ girl.”
In a reminder of how the work of animal rescues is never done, Tails of Hope said that right after Riona left for her new home, they took in another rescue dog who had been a burn victim.
“There is always another in need,” they wrote. Now we get to be part of yet another story.”
