South Floridians came together to honor Ollie the pit bull in Hollywood, Sunday afternoon.
More than 100 supporters gathered at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood to pay tribute to the canine who died after being stabbed fifty times and left for dead inside a suitcase in October.
Animal rights activists said the tragedy shines a spotlight on animal abuse.
“Ollie has been brought into the light because of media, because of word of mouth, because of the good people on this Earth,” said Dahlia Canes, founder of the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation, as reported by WSVN News.
Canes added that pit bulls in particular are often the target of physical abuse. “There are still others — many, many others — and they’re pit bulls,” she said. “They’re the most abused breed on this planet, like Ollie, that have been left to die without anyone knowing about them.”
The rescue group Grateful Paws helped organize Sunday’s event.
A candlelight memorial is set to be held in a dog park later this month.