A dog who survived awful animal abuse saved the life of a 3-year old girl, according to a heartfelt Facebook Post shared by the Delta Animal Shelter in Escanaba, Michigan. 

The dog arrived at the Delta Animal Shelter last April with two broken legs, broken ribs and a belly full of carpet. Her former owner was convicted of animal abuse and the dog, formerly known as Petunia, survived her injuries and healed thanks to the wonderful people at the shelter. Petunia was given a new name and a new life. The sweet pup, now renamed Peanut, was given a second chance at a happy life when she was adopted by a loving family who took her into their home.

And now the formerly abused dog, whose life was saved by the shelter and by her new family that adopted her, is a savior in her own right. In fact, Peanut’s new owner thinks it could even point to a “sixth sense about her past life that she has carried with her.”

Peanut’s owner shared the heartwarming story surrounding Peanut’s heroics in a letter addressed to the shelter. “About 11am this morning, Peanut started going crazy at our house. She was running up and down the stairs, barking and yelping. She then went and got my husband, who was in the garage working on some projects, and alerted him that she wanted to go outside. He said he could hear her running around upstairs but didn’t understand why.”

The dog had a good reason for her barking and yelping. She sensed something alarming and off outside and wanted to alert her owners.

“He let her outside where she went barreling into the field behind our house at full speed. My husband followed her and to his surprise, he found a naked, shivering, 3 year old girl curled up in a ball. He scooped her up, wrapped her in his sweatshirt, and brought her inside. He called 911 and reported the incident.”

The little girl was so shaken up and frightened when the ambulance arrived that she could only say one thing – doggie.

According to Fox’s TV 6, the child's parents were located and child protective services removed the child and one other sibling from the home.

“The child is fine and is well and is in good hands as we speak. There was one other child that was located in the home and that child was removed as well and to my knowledge both those children are together in a foster care type home,” Deputy Steve Kositzky, an officer who responded to the scene, told Fox’s TV 6.

Peanut’s owner concludes her letter to the Delta Animal Shelter with powerful words depicting the importance of shelter animals and the people who take in shelter animals.

“Thanks to Peanut, a little girl’s life was saved today. She has been such a blessing to us, and now to others. Words cannot express how grateful we are that we have Peanut in our lives and how amazing she is. She is a part of our family now and thanks to wonderful people like you at the shelter, she is alive. Without her, not only would she have been gone from this world, but the life of this little girl might have been taken as well.”