This dog's life took a very unexpected turn, thanks to a stranger, who found her left alone in a field in St. Louis, Missouri.
The driver was enjoying a sunny summer day when she suddenly spotted something strange along a busy road: a black metal crate in the middle of tall grass with no one around. Right next to it was a mostly hairless black dog who seemed barely alive.
More info: Julie Christofferson
The dog, later named Cardi B, was left alone in a large field next to a busy road
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Image credits: Sarah Barney
No one knows how long the dog spent alone in the huge field, but she was in a horrible condition, lying next to another one, who, unfortunately, had been hit by a car and didn't make it through.
"She wasn’t alone; sadly, her sweet pup friend did not survive, and she didn’t leave his side," Julie Christofferson shared on her social media the day the dog was found.
"Her condition is absolutely horrific. She has unbelievable hair loss from thousands of fleas. She does not have mange. She has burns all over her body, which the vet says are likely from urine and feces scalds from being crammed into a tiny crate and left to sit for days on end," the woman added at the time in the announcement on Facebook.
The dog was so weak from anemia that she couldn't stand up on her own. Julie's friend Sarah Barney just couldn't leave the dog there, so she carefully put her in the car and took her to the Stray Rescue of St. Louis’ (SRSL) emergency medical clinic.
"Thankfully, the finder made it her duty to help them. She is a hero," SRSL wrote on their Facebook few days after.
The dog was named Cardi B and after many extensive examinations, it appeared that she hadn't been injured in the field like her unfortunate friend had.
"She couldn’t get up or walk on her own and had lots of hair missing," SRSL shared. “We thought she had a broken pelvis, but thankfully, nothing is broken. She is just old and weak ... with a hard life behind her."
The dog was in such a terrible condition that she couldn’t get up or walk on her own and had lots of hair missing
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
It took just a few days after the rescue for Cardi B's condition to improve dramatically, since workers at SRSL enveloped her in so much love and care. The rescue team also made sure that the dog, despite all her limitations, wouldn't miss out on the joy.
"[W]e are giving her dignity and getting her outside in the sun with a sling," SRSL said. "She must not have walked in a while because she is really excited to move on her own and sniff everything!"
After one week of lots of love, nutrition, medical care and a set of wheels, Cardi B's life was full of sunshine again.
"She’s 13 years old and ready to live her life the way it’s meant to be lived! With tons of love and care," SRSL shared.
The dog is enjoying everything from running happily in her wheelchair to snuggling with her new best friends and seems to finally have a well-deserved, new, bright life.
"When she’s not cruising around town, she just wants to be on a big, cushy bed. Preferably riiiiiiiight next to you," SRSL wrote on their social media. "Now that she knows what getting attention is like, she wants it all the time. She is such a babe!" they added.
It didn't take long for Cardi B to find her forever family. She grew back her shiny hair and it's hard to believe that once this dog was in such a horrible condition that she almost passed away.
"Her foster says she’s been getting up on her own. When she sees a ball, she has to chase it, and she enjoys swimming. That is what it’s all about. It gives us chills!" SRSL couldn't hold back their excitement about Cardi B's new life.
Thanks to lots of love and care, Cardi B’s condition improved dramatically within just a few days after the rescue
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Image credits: Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Love is not a noun, but an act of will and, as Dr. John once beautifully said, "love is a verb. It's something you do."
Thanks to Sarah Barney and all the Stray Rescue of St. Louis team, now Cardi B knows the healing power of love. From a barely living, heartbroken, abandoned dog, she is now able to fully enjoy her new, wonderful, sunny life.
People couldn't find the right words to express how grateful they were that Cardi B was rescued
