Man Mistakes Dumped Puppy for Trash—Then Sees What’s Inside the Crate and Freezes in Shock
On a beautiful sunny day in May 2024, a man witnessed people dumping something in his neighbor’s yard. At first, he thought they were dumping old tires, but when he went to inspect he discovered a large dog crate with a tiny puppy in critical condition. Horrified by what he had found, the man rushed the puppy back to his house and contacted Stray Rescue of St. Louis.
When rescuers arrived they peered into the crate and immediately gasped in disbelief. Huddled in the back of the dirty crate was a small Pitbull puppy covered in feces, urine, and most disgusting of all, maggots. She was unmoving, her head propped on a filth-filled bowl, her tiny body bony from malnourishment. The puppy wore a pink harness, but it appeared to have rarely been removed as it dug into her sore flesh.
The rescuers quickly removed her from the crate, but she held none of her body weight and instantly flopped onto her side. Wrapping her in a blanket, the rescuers carried her to their car, knowing they needed to act fast if this puppy were to survive.
“Hold on little girl, hold okay? These are good people, alright?” said the man who had found the puppy as they loaded her into the car. He was clearly emotional and shared his final words of encouragement and prayers for her life. “Live—live, okay?”
The puppy’s breathing was shallow and raspy, and it seemed that she was barely holding on.
“Give the clinic a heads up, we’re on our way back and this girl’s in really bad shape,” said one of the rescuers, her voice wavering with tears but urgent as they rushed to get her the life-saving care she desperately needed.
Praying for Prayer—Vets Worry Puppy Won’t Survive the Night
At the clinic, medical staff were forced to cut the harness of the puppy and quickly got to work bathing her to reveal the true scope of her injuries. Dozens of maggots squirmed between her toes and all over her body, and her skin appeared red and inflamed under patches of missing fur. She had scratched her skin raw, and the maggots were festering on the painful sore spots.
“That’s just from standing in diarrhea for however long,” said one of the veterinarians, commenting on the puppy’s inflamed and raw paw pads. “The skin gets macerated and then the maggots can get in.”
Every inch of her was covered in filth, and though clearly in pain, she was so starved, dehydrated, exhausted, and sick that she couldn’t so much as lift her head as she was examined and bathed. Eyes wide, the puppy lay frozen as staff worked to clean her up, but was slowly starting to get a tiny bit of light back. She even lapped up a little water as they were finishing her bath.
Clearly a fighter, this puppy had been determined to survive her abuse, but her condition was still so critical that vets feared she may not make it through the night. They decided to name her Prayer since she was definitely in need of some and tucked her in for the first comfortable and warm sleep she had had in a long time.
Prayer Starts the Road To Recovery Surrounded By Love
Not only did Prayer make it through the night, but she woke up ready to fight for recovery!
After an evening of rest and lots of IV fluids, Prayer was picking her head up and even eating. The veterinary staff prepared a high-hydration “soup” for Prayer, and she lapped it right up. Perhaps her first proper meal ever, Prayer could tell she was finally safe and being taken care of.
A few days later, Prayer was stable and ready to be transferred from the veterinary clinic to Stray Rescue of St. Louis where the entire team was waiting to welcome her. Tears were shed, and everyone got a chance to love on Prayer a little, letting her see just how many people were invested in her story. Finally feeling better, Prayer’s little tail wagged the entire time—she trusted these kind humans despite the horrific abuse she had experienced in her short life.
Second Chance at Happiness: Prayer Finds a Forever Family
Though she had been let down by humans at the start of her life, sweet little Prayer wanted nothing more than to give and receive love. Over the next month or so at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, Prayer got healthier, stronger, and more ready to start a new life. She was no longer the emaciated, frozen little puppy that had been dumped by cruel abusers but a strong, sweet dog who held no grudges for her past life.
Then in late June, around a month after her emotional rescue, Prayer found a forever family!
Now, nine months later, Prayer (who now goes by Roxy) lives in Wisconsin with a family that cherishes her. Prayer goes on boat rides, has tons of toys to play with, and a doggy sister she gets to snuggle and romp with every day. Her horrible past is a distant memory, and thanks to the heroic man who rescued her, the staff at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, and her adoptive family, Prayer’s future is looking bright! You can check in on her and see how she’s doing by visiting her Instagram @Prayer_StrayRescue.
Announcing that she had been adopted, Stray Rescue of St. Louis shared a final message on Prayer’s behalf: “My message to you is that there are so many wonderful dogs waiting in our shelter for their chance at a forever family. They all have stories of their own and my wish for them is that you would please consider one of the many other dogs waiting for their forever families. There were so many people that said they wanted to adopt me and make me part of their family, that I’m hoping they will give that same opportunity to another dog at the shelter. So please come on down to our shelter and meet your new family member! They all deserve it as much as I did!”
If you’ve been considering adopting a dog, this is a sign to visit your local animal shelter and give a deserving rescue dog a chance at a beautiful life!
