A frightened but friendly Chihuahua is lucky to be alive after a good Samaritan found her in Peabody and rushed her to the MSPCA-Angell in Boston, the organization announced Friday.
That good Samaritan, Tom Osborne of Lynn, stumbled across the dog while he was out for an afternoon walk. The dog was cowering beneath a blanket in the woods near Spring Pond.
“She was wrapped in the blanket and just so scared,” Osborne said. “I couldn’t get close to her at first so I sat down on the ground and waited for her to relax. Despite the warm temperatures she was shaking uncontrollably—likely because she was so frightened.”
Osborne wrapped the dog in his coat, carried her to his truck and drove her to the MSPCA.
“I’m so glad she’s now safe and warm and will get the medical care she needs,” he said. “If any dog deserves a second chance it would be her.”
Coincidentally, Osborne was the second person to come across the dog while in the woods. A Facebook posted dated the same day at 11:40 a.m. revealed that someone else had discovered her but, unable to get close, left a blanket in hopes of providing warmth and comfort.
The dog—who MSPCA staffers have named “Piglet” after her namesake from “Winnie-the-Pooh”—is between five and seven years old. She was possibly abandoned due to the visible hernia protruding from her belly, which will require surgery to repair.
Piglet has no ID tags or microchip.
MSPCA-Angell Adoption Center Manager Alyssa Krieger is grateful that Piglet is now in safe hands.
“It’s impossible to know how long she was in the woods, but she could have easily succumbed to exposure or been taken by a predator, particularly given her comprised condition,” Krieger said. “She’s very lucky that Tom took the time to gain her trust and bring her to safety.”
Surgeons will operate on Piglet next week, and she is expected to be placed for adoption shortly after.
“Given all she’s been through we’re going to prioritize a quiet and very safe home for her,” said Krieger.
Piglet’s surgery is expected to cost $1,000 and will be paid for by Spike’s Fund, a fund that pays the medical care costs of homeless animals in the MSPCA’s Boston adoption center. Readers interested in donating to Spike’s Fund can click here.
Interested adopters are encouraged to email adoption@mspca.org for more information about Piglet. General information about animal adoption at the MSPCA can be found here.
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