Rescuers at animal shelters want to save as many animals as possible, but sometimes a dog or cat has been so abused or neglected that it seems their only option is to put the poor creature out of its misery.
In early April 2016, rescuers from a Michigan animal shelter found a tiny puppy that had been cruelly abused. At first, they thought she would never be able to recover from her injuries. Thankfully, however, they didn’t give up on her. About a year later, she even managed to save a 3-year-old from a similar fate…
The Stray Puppy
On April 6, 2016, volunteers from the Delta Animal Shelter in Escanaba, Michigan found a stray puppy on one of the city streets. It was clear the 4-month-old puppy had been abused and was starving, but the rescuers had no idea how much she was actually suffering.
Back At The Shelter
The team brought the puppy named Cocoa back to the shelter and got to work figuring out what exactly had happened to her. They immediately ran tests and performed several scans, the results of which left the entire team horrified…
A Sickening Diagnosis
The 4-month-old puppy, who the team renamed Petunia, had a broken front leg, a broken back leg near her hip joint, and several broken ribs. But that wasn’t even the worst part. The scans taken revealed that her tiny belly was actually full of carpet.
A Long Road Ahead
The team wanted to save the puppy, but at first, they weren’t sure if Petunia had the strength necessary to make a full mental and physical recovery. Thankfully, however, they didn’t give up on the suffering animal. Instead, they got to work treating all her broken bones and injuries…
3 Months Later…
“I have been receiving wonderful care at the shelter with all the compassionate volunteers spoiling me. I am now ready, 3 months later…ready to find a safe loving home to grow up in,” the team at the Delta Animal Shelter wrote in a post to Facebook announcing that she was ready to be adopted.
The Social Media Post
“I do have some permanent damage. I will always limp,” the shelter warned in the post. “ I may need medical care as I get older. The shelter is taking adoption applications to help me. I need to grow up feeling love. I know how lucky I am. I know I can grow up to be a good dog, a best friend, a loyal companion. I need you to help me. No puppy deserves this start in life…”
A Forever Home
The post circulated online, and before long a couple reached out to the animal shelter saying they were interested in adopting Petunia. The couple came into the shelter and immediately fell in love with the sweet survivor. After signing the adoption papers, the couple brought Petunia, who they renamed Peanut, back to her new forever home.
Building Trust
At first, Peanut was extremely shy and hesitant around her new owners. But they were patient with her, and as time went by, she started to trust her new family as they showered her with love, made sure she always had food in her belly, and gave her plenty of toys to play with…
A Beloved Pet
Soon enough Peanut settled into her new home and became a beloved member of the family. The staff at the shelter had told Peanut’s owners what had happened to her and what she endured, and they were amazed at how far the mixed-breed dog had come.
A Typical Friday Morning
So when Peanut started barking aggressively and running frantically around the house 1 Friday morning about a year after she was rescued from the streets, her owners couldn’t understand what was going on. In all the months they had spent with Peanut, they had never seen her act like that…
Shocking Behavior
“About 11 a.m. this morning, Peanut started going crazy at our house. She was running up and down the stairs, barking and yelping. She then went and got my husband, who was in the garage working on some projects, and alerted him that she wanted to go outside,” Peanut’s owner explained.
Running Away
Peanut’s owners couldn’t figure out what she was so worked up over, but it appeared she really wanted to go outside so he let her out through the back door. “He let her outside where she went barreling into the field behind our house at full speed,” the woman said…
A Shocking Realization
Peanut’s owner ran out the door after her and couldn’t understand why she suddenly stopped in front of a ditch and looked back at him. The man took hold of Peanut’s collar and started to turn to bring her back inside when he suddenly realized why Peanut had brought him there.
A Naked 3-Year-Old
“My husband followed her and to his surprise, he found a naked, shivering, 3-year-old girl curled up in a ball,” the man’s wife said. In the freezing temperatures, the little girl was shaking uncontrollably, so Peanut’s owner picked her up and quickly wrapped her in a sweatshirt…
The 911 Call
The man rushed back inside the home to warm the 3-year-old up and immediately called 911 to report what Peanut had found. “By the time the ambulance and police arrived, the little girl could only say one thing – ‘doggie,’” the woman explained.
The Investigation Begins
When first responders arrived, they determined the little girl was uninjured but took her to the hospital just to be sure she wasn’t sick or hurt. Meanwhile, cops went door to door looking for the girl’s family or anyone who knew where her family might be…
Living In Squalor
Eventually, the officers managed to track down the little girl’s parents at a home not too far away from where she was found in the ditch. “Further investigation unveiled unsafe and unsanitary living conditions at the residence,” the sheriff’s office reported.
Saved From A Life Of Abuse
“Child Protective Services was contacted and the found girl along with another young female were eventually removed from the residence,” the sheriff’s office explained. When Peanut’s owners found out what happened, they were amazed that Peanut managed to save the little girl’s life as well as save her from a life of abuse and neglect…
A Sixth Sense
“She has truly been a blessing to our family and we love having her around. As you know, her background was so heartbreaking and we are so happy that we were able to take her into our home and give her the love and the family she deserves. However, I think she still has some “sixth sense” about her past life that she has carried with her,” the woman wrote in a letter to the animal shelter to tell them what Peanut did.
An Undeniable Blessing
“Thanks to Peanut, a little girl’s life was saved today. She has been such a blessing to us, and now to others. Words cannot express how grateful we are that we have Peanut in our lives and how amazing she is. She is a part of our family now and thanks to wonderful people like you at the shelter, she is alive. Without her, not only would she have been gone from this world, but the life of this little girl might have been taken as well.”
Abused Dog Saves 3-Year-Old From A Lifetime Of Disgraceful Neglect is an article from: LifeDaily