Jovie didn’t earn the nickname “Miss Spunkypants” for nothing.

The 5-month-old, pint-sized “pit bull” puppy rescued Sept. 29 by the Lucas County Pit Crew has plenty of attitude.

“She’s a character,” Jean Keating, executive director of the Pit Crew, said. “She has a personality that will just crack you up.”

But when Jovie was surrendered to the rescue, her skeletal 3-pound body was shutting down. Dr. Anne Bergstrom from West Toledo Animal Hospital said Jovie weighed about half what she should have at about 3 months old.

“Her body condition was excessively poor,” she said. “She definitely wasn’t going to go on too much longer. She was kind of living on borrowed time.”

Jovie’s former owner, Jessica Bell of East Toledo, did not respond to requests for comment from The Blade.

Despite the puppy’s desperate state, Ms. Keating said Jovie still had “a little sparkle in her eye and tried to wag her tail,” indicating she didn’t want to give up. For five days, Jovie stayed at the animal hospital during the day and went home with Ms. Keating at night.

“If she was going to die, I didn’t want her to die alone,” she said. “Every time she breathed, you felt every bone in her body.”

By the fourth and fifth day, she was perking up and trying to walk. That caused painful muscle spasms.

“She would just fall over and her limbs would shake and she was just screaming,” Ms. Keating said. “It was horrifying. All I could do was wrap her up in a blanket and hold her until it stopped.”

She was placed in a foster home that could provide constant care, and Jovie has fought her way back. She now weighs just more than 7 pounds, but still well below the approximately 15 poundsDr. Bergstrom said she’d like her to be. The puppy still has bad days with vomiting and diarrhea, though they are less frequent.

“I would say her condition is guarded but stable,” the veterinarian said. “We don’t really have all the answers yet.”

It’s unclear whether Jovie’s condition was caused by starvation or if she may have some existing medical condition. Dr. Bergstrom said it may be impossible to tell if damage to Jovie’s organs caused her malnutrition or vice versa. Either way, she could suffer some lasting effects because of how her condition may have impacted her growth and development.

“I don’t honestly know if Jovie will ever be normal,” Ms. Keating said. “She’s likely going to be a special-needs dog all her life.”

Jovie’s swollen belly and still-bony frame are a testament to her struggle. The rescue celebrates each ounce she gains.

“She’s growing, and she needs so many more calories to support her growth, and it is such a battle,” Ms. Keating said.

Jovie is now a bit of a celebrity with more than 3,000 fans tracking her progress through a Facebook page, “Jovie the Tiny Pitbull.”

The Toledo Area Humane Society is collecting information about Jovie’s case to review for possible cruelty charges.

Executive Director Gary Willoughby said the organization hopes to have everything in hand by Friday to make a determination.

Ms. Bell is also a foster for Toledo’s PET Bull Project. Director Cindy Reinsel said Ms. Bell was upfront about Jovie’s situation, saying the pup was skinny when she got her. Mrs. Reinsel said Ms. Bell provided proof Jovie had seen a veterinarian who found nothing wrong with the puppy, and that she had tried several kinds of food without success before ultimately seeking help from the Pit Crew.

“We’ve not found any reason not to let her foster,” Mrs. Reinsel said. “I have no reason to believe she did anything wrong.”

If the humane society’s investigation finds otherwise, Mrs. Reinsel said she will re-evaluate Ms. Bell’s status as a foster for the group. So far, Ms. Bell has successfully fostered one puppy that is now in a permanent home.

When she’s ready, Jovie won’t have to wait for a permanent family. The Pit Crew already has two possible adopters lined up and approved.

Ms. Keating said Jovie’s medical expenses, including special prescription food, are about $1,000 right now. That does not include several hundred dollars in donations.

Donations can be made at lucascountypitcrew.com.

Checks made out to the Lucas County Pit Crew also may be sent to 8432 W. Central Ave., Suite 1, Sylvania, OH 43560.

Contact Alexandra Mester: amester@theblade.com, 419-724-6066, or on Twitter @AlexMesterBlade.

First Published December 2, 2014, 5:00 a.m.