ORANGE PARK, Fla. – UPDATE: Friends of Clay County Animals paid $2,530 to Clay Humane on Thursday to cover the extensive medical care to save the life of Ziggy, the pit bull that was profiled on News4Jax last week. The nonprofit is hoping to raise funds so it can continue to help other animals. If you'd like to donate, visit friendsofclaycountyanimals.org.
PREVIOUS STORY: It's a twist to a News4Jax story we didn't expect, but are very happy to report. Thursday we brought you the story about abused and neglected animals being given a second chance at life. It featured an injured pit bull named Heath, and the life-saving efforts by Clay Humane to save him from his dogfighting injuries.
WATCH: Abused, neglected animals get second chances
After seeing promotion of that story on our Facebook page, Heath's rightful owner spotted him, knew it was her lost pet and then gave us a call.
"The first little picture of his face, I knew it was him," Christina Mendez said. "I started screaming. I even woke up my cousin [and said], 'Look, look, this is him.'"
Mendez, who knows Heath as Ziggy, said he escaped from her Argyle home earlier this year when she was giving birth to her son.
"He must have gotten out of the yard," said Mendez. "I haven’t seen him, went driving around, on lost dogs pages, nothing."
The family has been searching for their Ziggy ever since, not knowing the violence he was enduring.
When Clay Humane got the abandoned and severely injured pit bull in April, staff named him Heath. They believed his life-threatening injuries were caused by dogfighting.
"When we have animals who come in, especially pit bulls with wounds of multiple ages -- what we mean by that is healed wounds, scabbed wounds -- that tell us he’s been involved in multiple dog attacks," explained Dr. Christian Broadhurst, head veterinarian at Clay Humane.
After Mendez contacted News4Jax to say she thought Heath was her lost Ziggy, we directed her to Clay Humane. She immediately drove to Clay County and provided vet records leading up to his disappearance along with family photos with Ziggy in them.
Authorities scoured the documentation Mendez provided -- even comparing the spots on the dog in the photos to those on Heath.
Broadhurst told News4Jax he became even more certain that Heath was in fact Ziggy when the pooch became overjoyed and excited when he saw Mendez and responded when she called Ziggy's name. He ran right up to her and jumped in her lap.
Broadhurst said a dog would not have reacted in such a happy, positive manner with someone responsible for causing him harm.
"They may have broken his jaw, but they didn’t break his spirit, because I raised him in a household to love family, love kids and be a protector, not a fighter," said Mendez.
The Mendez family officially re-adopted their lost pet Saturday, because he's still county property.
To help make this re-adoption happen, the local nonprofit Friends of Clay County Animals (FOCCA), stepped up to help pay the bill for his expensive medical care and boarding.
"The county just doesn't have enough money to pay for every sick and injured animal that comes into the shelter," explained Andrea Cassman with FOCCA.
That's why FOCCA was started -- to help cover the costs to save neglected, injured and abused animals like Heath AKA Ziggy.
"These animals have no hope. Now, they have hope because we will pay for whatever they need." added Cassman.
But, the nonprofit can't pay to save these animals without your help. If you would like to learn more about FOCCA, and help ensure medical expenses can be covered for not only Ziggy, but other animals needing care, you can donate on FOCCA's website. Cassman said you can even designate your donation to help cover Ziggy's bills, if you choose.
FOCCA is made up of volunteers and if you'd like to contact the nonprofit directly, you can send an email to friendsofclaycountyanimals@gmail.com or reach out to the organization on its Facebook page.