Peanut is a rescue dog who had a very rough start to life. She overcame abuse and neglect when a couple decided to bring her home and give her a fresh start. They knew Peanut would be a loyal and loving addition to their family. What they didn’t know was that Peanut’s keen senses would one day help save the life of a three-year-old girl who was a victim of abuse herself.
Peanut Suffered Neglect and Abuse Early in Life
Peanut was brought into the Delta Animal Shelter in very bad shape. She had two broken legs, broken ribs, and a belly full of ingested carpet. The shelter assumed she had been abused and starved, which explains the tummy full of non-food materials. The shelter nursed her back to good health and prepared her adoption. Everyone was thrilled when a couple decided to take her home.
Peanut Was Distressed and Her Humans Listened
Our dogs communicate with us in a variety of ways. Over time we come to understand the overt and more subtle cues that tell us what they need or want. Peanut’s companions understood Peanut perfectly. That’s why they knew something was really wrong one day in 2017 when Peanut began showing signs of distress. She was running around the house barking. Her mom wasn’t sure what was going on so Peanut quickly decided to try to communicate the message to her dad. She ran into the garage where her dad was working and barked repeatedly. Her dad got the message and let Peanut outside.
Peanut Ran Directly to a Nearby Ditch
Peanut bolted to the field behind their house with her mom and dad following behind her. She stopped at a ditch and continued sounding the alarm. When her dad caught up, he was stunned to find a small child, curled up in a ball, completely naked. He wrapped the little girl in his sweatshirt and carried her inside to safety. He called the police immediately. The little girl spoke only one word during her short stay with Peanut and the family. That word was “doggie.”
The little girl and her sibling were removed from their home and placed into the custody of Child Protective Services pending investigation. For her part, Peanut was honored by the shelter, local and state governments, and grateful humans around the globe for her role in saving a fellow victim of abuse. Peanut’s family sent the following letter to Delta Animal Shelter following the incident.
“Dear Shelter,
I must share a heartfelt story about how wonderful our little Peanut has been! 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. Today, Peanut was responsible for saving the life of a 3-year-old little girl. 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. He said he could hear her running around upstairs but didn’t understand why. He let her outside where she went barreling into the field behind our house at full speed. My husband followed her and to his surprise, he found a naked, shivering, 3-year-old girl curled up in a ball. He scooped her up, wrapped her in his sweatshirt, and brought her inside. He called 911 and reported the incident. By the time the ambulance and police arrived, the little girl could only say one thing – “doggie.” 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.”
Featured Image Delta Animal Shelter/Facebook
H/T ilovemydogsomuch.tv
Toledo, United States.
