She’s safe now 
A resident of Gloucester, England, was out for a walk one day when they saw someone get out of a white van and throw a plastic bag into a garbage bin. Something about it seemed strange, so the person went over to investigate, and thank goodness they did.
It turns out it wasn’t a plastic bag — it was a tiny 8-week-old puppy.
The person was shocked to find the little puppy had been thrown away like garbage. They quickly scooped her up and took her straight to the vet, who then contacted the RSPCA’s Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home for help.
“Poor Winnie had been cruelly dumped in a bin like rubbish,” Haley Medlock, a staff member at the Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home, said in a press release. “It’s utterly shocking. We believe she’d been abandoned due to a deformity to one of her front legs which caused her elbow to be fused at an angle, leaving her unable to walk. It may be that her owner was unable to afford the veterinary treatment she needed or, as a breeder, may have felt they wouldn’t be able to sell her in such a state. Either way, to abandon her and leave her so helpless is completely unacceptable.”
In addition to her deformed leg, Winnie has had a few seizures since arriving in the care of the RSPCA, which they’re actively investigating. Despite her health issues, she’s an incredibly happy, playful little puppy, and everyone is so grateful that she’s getting a second chance at life.
“She is such a fun-loving girl,” Ebony Poole, Winnie’s foster mom, said in a press release. “She loves her playtime and will curl up on my lap for a good nap afterwards.”
Winnie is going to need surgery in about 15 weeks to amputate her deformed leg, as well as physiotherapy and hydrotherapy afterward to help her adjust to life with only three legs. The rescue has already spent so much money on Winnie’s care, but they’re willing to do whatever it takes. After everything she’s been through, they want to make sure she has the happiest life she can possibly have.
“She is my biggest concern at the moment and I’m hopeful that the public will help us care for Winnie and erase the neglect she has already suffered at the tender age of just eight weeks,” Poole said.
Winnie still has some challenges to face before she’ll be ready to be adopted, but in the meantime, she’s getting tons of love and care from her rescuers.
“She’s loving her time with Ebony and is already learning new tricks,” Medlock said. “She’s such a sweet, friendly pup, and we’re hopeful that her future will be bright once she’s had her operation. She should make a full recovery and live a very happy life with just three legs!”
