This extremely emaciated dog was abandoned in a cage in the freezing cold

'Loving and beyond resilient' dog Rosabella was found abandoned and trapped in a crate in a frigid December cold. Her emaciated body could no longer protect her and the pooch was unlikely to make it if not for ‘nothing short of a Christmas miracle’. A Ruff Start Rescue’s foster parent happened to be driving through the alleyway and noticed her.

Left in the cold

Rosabella was heartlessly abandoned in a Minnesota alleyway around Christmas last year. Left out in the blistering cold, she lay curled up in a ball with nothing but a thin wire crate to protect her.

The pooch was emaciated and terrified and probably wouldn’t make it much longer if not for a rescue volunteer who spotted her and rushed her to a safe, warm place.

A journey back to health

Taken into the care of Ruff Start Rescue, Rosabella got much-needed medical attention. Tests revealed signs of neglect throughout her body. She had sores and splayed feet that suggested she's been in a kennel for the majority of her life.

She was ‘extremely loving’ and ‘grateful to be warm’.

Kelli Hanson, marketing and communications director of the charity said:

She was only 19 pounds when she should have been closer to 45 pounds.

Despite the challenge, the caring team were determined to nurse the pooch back to health and find her a perfect forever family.

A loving home at last

Rosabella was in the rescue for about a year before her special human found her.

Her new mum said:

After seeing her sad story on the news, I knew I had to reach out to see what I could do to help her. Luckily, I was chosen to possibly adopt her.

The animal lover introduced Rosabella to her dog, who fell in love with her right away.

The woman wrote in a Facebook update:

She is such a sweet girl, so happy and curious about everything. She follows us everywhere. She has definitely grown a lot, she’s healthy and very active.

While not much is known of Rosabella’s past, she now enjoys going for walks in the neighbourhood or dog park, playing with her new sister and napping to her heart’s content. She’ll never have to worry about surviving the brutal elements ever again.

To help more dogs like Rosabella, foster or donate, please visit Ruff Start Rescue.

Sources used:

- The Dodo: 'Dog Abandoned In Freezing Cold Completely Transforms After Rescue'