PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A Pinellas Park market held on Sunday raised funds for Rags to Riches Animal Rescue to help cover more than $13,000 in vet bills for a dog whose recovery has captivated social media.
At the beginning of March, police said two dogs were dumped in Largo. Both dogs, named Apple and Pear, were hit by a car. Only Apple survived.
The story gained traction on social media, with thousands visiting the Rags to Riches Animal Rescue Facebook page to send well wishes to the dogs. Over a month later, Apple is back on its feet.
"We made sure that we were visiting him constantly and just, you know, showing him that support and that love, I think, I think it all comes together," Zayda Janiak, a coordinator at Rags to Riches Animal Rescue, said.
Madisyn Huffman organized the market to give the community another chance to rally together for Apple and help the rescue cover its vet bills.
"There's no vendor fee. All the vendors are donating anywhere from 20 to 50% or even 100% of their market earnings to the rescue," Huffman said.
Janiak said their hearts are still hurting for Pear, but the money raised will help save more dogs like Apple.
"Something like this means the world to us because we get to see the faces of the people who helped save the animals with us because we can't do it without the donations," Janiak said.
More information on donating to Rags to Riches Animal Rescue can be found here.
This story was reported on air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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