Freckles came to Midwest Rescue as a puppy, one of a litter of five. Her brothers and sisters quickly found homes. So did Freckles. She was adopted by a young couple, soon to have a child.
Their application was approved by Midwest Rescue. (We carefully check the references of all adoptive families before releasing our dogs into their care. But in this case, we couldn’t anticipate what would happen.)
Unfortunately, the young couple ran into financial problems. They gave up their house and moved in with one set of parents. But Freckles was not welcome there. So they sent her to live with the other set of parents.
These people did not allow animals in their house. Freckles was crated outside…in the middle of winter…without any shelter! She was not even allowed in the garage or given the run of the yard, which at least would have allowed her to warm up.
Thankfully, a friend of a Midwest Rescue board member spotted Freckles freezing outdoors in the crate and alerted us.
Horrified, we acted immediately. Initially, the family resisted our efforts to contact them. But we were persistent. Finally, we got the young woman to release her ownership of Freckles back to Midwest Rescue. And not a moment too soon!
A few nights later, Freckles was brought to a volunteer’s house. It was all they could do not to cry. She was not only emaciated, she had frostbite on both of her ears and her tail. She had open wounds on her legs and head from trying to break free of her crate—her ice cold prison.
She arrived in the volunteer’s home with her tail between her legs and with fear and sadness in her brown eyes.
Now here comes the good part…
Freckles never left our volunteer’s house! It’s her new home, and she is queen of the palace. Loving Freckles adores her family, including her pit bull brother Aidan (another Midwest Rescue pup—you can read his story here, too). At night, she sleeps warm and safe snuggled in the covers of her new Mom and Dad’s bed.
Freckles has regained weight, and grown hair back on the tip of her frostbitten tail. The scars on her ears, however, will always remain. For her family, they are a reminder of all the cruel hardships she endured.
But now that’s all in the past. Today, Freckles is part of a warm and loving household. Her forever family cherishes her and the unconditional love she provides. Freckles has come in from the cold.
