A plastic crate sat by itself in a bare field, and nothing nearby suggested anyone planned to return for it. When rescuers reached it, they found a small dog inside. She was so still that at first she hardly seemed alive.

Her name was Junie. The rescuers soon noticed a detail that would shape the rest of her story.

Alone in a Field, Barely Breathing

Junie did not cry out, and she did not try to move. Her breathing was so shallow that it was easy to miss.

Her skin was covered in sores and chemical burns. According to the rescue account, they came from lying in her own waste for days, possibly weeks. The crate around her was filthy.

Then there were her ears. Both had been dyed bright purple and pink.

The account describes the dye as the work of someone who treated her as entertainment, and says she was tormented before being left behind. Who did this, and why, was not established. What the rescuers could see for themselves was a very small dog in grave condition, and a splash of color that made the scene even harder to look at.

Video: Junie, a Puppy Found in a Crate With Purple Ears, Fights to Survive

A Small Body Failing on Several Fronts

Junie was rushed to an intensive care unit, and from the moment she arrived her chances looked slim.

Her body temperature was so low that the hospital’s equipment had trouble reading it. Her blood pressure collapsed. Her kidneys began to fail. Each time the team steadied one problem, another surfaced:

• Severe anemia: Her red blood cell count dropped dangerously low, and she needed an emergency transfusion.
• A blood clot: A large clot formed in her jugular vein, and her face and neck swelled. Doctors gave her a fifty percent chance of survival.
• Pneumonia: The infection settled in lungs that were already too weak to fight it.

Every new crisis pushed the staff back toward the edge of the worst possible outcome.

The One Thing That Never Stopped

Through all of those days, one thing stayed the same. Whenever someone came near her crate, Junie wagged her tail.

It was a small movement from a dog with little else to spare, and the people caring for her could not ignore it.

One rescuer, who would not leave her side, spoke quietly about what she had seen. “I still don’t understand how someone could do this,” she said. “Just imagining her being painted while she was suffering… it’s unbearable.”

From Lifting Her Head to Taking Her First Steps

Junie leaned into gentle hands and stayed calm around soft voices. By every account, she responded readily to kindness.

Her recovery came in small, visible steps. First she lifted her head. Then she accepted food. Eventually she stood and took a few unsteady steps.

The dog who had lain motionless in the crate was becoming a patient who was present and engaged with the people around her.

A Hallway Full of Staff

The day Junie was strong enough to leave the hospital, the staff stopped what they were doing. Doctors, nurses and other team members gathered in the hallway to see her off.

Many of them had worried over her through long, sleepless nights. Tears were common that day, but they were tears of relief rather than grief.

Her next stop was New York, where her healing continued. There she met the woman who would become her “Forever Mama.” According to the account, this woman looked past the dyed ears and the scars and saw a dog worth committing to.

What Her Days Look Like Now

Today, Junie’s life is very different from that field. The account describes it this way:

• A soft bed: warm, clean and safe.
• A canine companion: a dog to play beside and learn from.
• A loving home: days filled with patience and affection.

Her story has reached readers around the world. It began with a crate that no one came back for, and it continues in a home where someone does.

Junie is described as no longer abandoned and no longer afraid. She has a family now. Her ears, once dyed for someone else’s amusement, are simply part of the dog who survived.