Dog found alone in snow with bleeding paws finds warm foster home

A dog who was discovered alone in brutal conditions has finally got the happy ending she deserves after finding a loving foster home.

Rescue shelter Stray Rescue of St. Louis, based in Missouri, shared the devastating story of a dog they lovingly named Dippin Dottie, who was found outside, alone, and in freezing conditions in January.

Chief communications officer of the shelter, Natalie Thomson, told Newsweek: “We had gotten a few calls from concerned community members about a stray dog they were seeing near this abandoned building. We went to check it out and found her inside sitting on the snow.

“When our rescuer found her, she saw bloody footprints—her feet were bleeding from the snow and ice,” Thomson said.

The shelter acted fast, with staff members getting to the abandoned house and trying to get Dottie to come to them. When she struggled, out of fear, to trust them, they set a food trap—and “she went right in.”

With the help of local police, the rescue got Dottie back to its premises, where her personality instantly changed, and “she was all grateful kisses,” Thomson said. “She climbed into our laps, thanking us for saving her.”

In a post to the shelter’s website, a staff member wrote: “She’s been the most affectionate little bundle of joy now that she is safe! We named her Dippin Dottie, because of those adorable little spots in her black and white coat.”

In its blog post, the rescue made a promise to Dottie: “Baby, you will never EVER shiver again. Your feet will never feel like fire. You will never feel the ache from a hollow belly again. You will never be so lonely, so scared. You’re free, you’re safe.”

At the end of their post, published on January 17, the rescue pleaded for someone to take in Dottie as a foster, as the center was overfull—and days later, it posted a positive update on its Facebook page.

On the post were two side-by-side photos: the first of Dottie, head hanging, shivering in the snow where she was discovered. And the next, Dottie relaxing on the sofa of her new foster home, lazily looking up at the camera.

The rescue center wrote in the update, which received over 4,000 likes: “Never, in a trillion years, did Dippin Dottie ever think this would be her life now. We found her last week, doing her best to survive in a freezing cold abandoned building, her paws bleeding from ice and cold.”

Praising Dottie’s foster family, the rescue wrote: “This is the beauty of fostering. Even though our shelter was full, we were able to rescue her because of a foster home. THIS is how we save so many.”

Newsweek spoke to Dottie’s foster carer, Bailey Salinero, who shared a video of the dog relaxing and playing with another pup in their warm home. She said she knew right away when she saw Dottie’s story that “I had to foster her.”

“It was heartbreaking to see her so defeated in that abandoned building, left behind by people who failed her,” Salinero said. “When I picked her up, she was cautiously trusting, unsure but hopeful. On the drive home, she wanted to curl up in my lap, and my 3-year-old kept reassuring her, saying, ‘You’re safe now; we’ll love you forever.'”

And Dottie quickly learned this as true, as she was showered with love and attention from her foster family, and became friends with their other dog. “All she wanted was to be close and give kisses, constantly snuggling and staying by our side. You could see how grateful she was for the warmth and safety of a real home,” Salinero said.

“She’s incredibly smart and loyal, and eager to please. As she settles in, Dottie is finding the joy in a safe and comfortable home where she is treated with all the love she deserves.”

Animal lovers responded to the story in their droves, with many posting emotional comments on the shelter’s Facebook post as they thanked the rescue and Dottie’s new foster family.

“So thankful for Foster Families! I’m so thankful Dottie no longer survives in the cold and going hungry,” one wrote, adding: “I’m praying for her to get her permanent home soon! She’s beautiful!”

“Thank you to the wonderful foster that opened their home to help Dottie! Thank you to all fosters,” another posted, as a third commented: “So wonderful that you rescued her.”

Dogs like Dottie enter animal shelters across the United States at a rate of around 3.1 million per year, according to statistics from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Thanks to the work of shelters, foster carers and adopters, around 2 million dogs are adopted each year.

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