Meet Khalessi, a young pit bull in Florida who has endured nightmarish abuse but has lived to wag her tail.

Stephanie Paquin, the founder and director of dog foster group Passion 4 ріtѕ, told BuzzFeed News that she and her husband, Mike Fleury, rescued Khalessi from a shelter in Orlando on August 8.

The couple had been at the shelter to pick up another unwanted pit bull that was going to be euthanized, when the shelter manager asked if they would be prepared to take in a very special dog.

The dog, believed to be less than 2 years old, was found abandoned on the lawn of an elderly person’s home about three days earlier.

Paquin, a veterinary assistant, said she was warned before meeting Khalessi that the dog had been physically deformed as a result of the abuse he had suffered, but she and her husband were still overcome with emotion when they saw her.

“We met her and I immediately started crying,” Paquin said. “Her eyes are so happy and she is so happy to receive any attention. “He’s squirming and his tail is wagging, but you can see the damage that’s been done to his face.”

“She was so happy, but I was trying so hard to hold my ground.”

The Orlando veterinarian told Paquin that Khalessi had been “systematically abused” for a long time, with the dog missing a nose and nasal cavity, as well as suffering from a broken back, broken ribs and hind legs that no longer function.

The homeowner who first called animal services couldn’t get a good look at the car that hit Khalessi, giving police little to investigate in their search.

Paquin said he hopes media coverage of Khalessi’s story will lead someone to recognize the dog so his abuser can be found.