Abandoned dog left chained by family during blizzard finds her forever home

A pit bull who was chained up and left outside by her owners during a blizzard was rescued after a kind neighbor decided to intervene.

The two-year-old pup, aptly named Blizzard after the conditions she was found in, apparently spent an entire night outside during a winter storm on December 12 in snow so deep it covered most of her legs.

When a concerned neighbor noticed Blizzard shaking in the frigid yard, she called the Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, a nonprofit organization that works to rescue injured, sick or pregnant stray dogs off the streets of Detroit, Michigan.

Volunteers who arrived on the scene immediately knew that Blizzard desperately needed their help.

"We received a call from a citizen of Detroit who seemed to be very frantic that her neighbors were leaving this dog outside in the cold, and left her out all night," Theresa Sumpter, founder and director of Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, told The Dodo. "She was holding her paws up because she was so cold. If we didn’t come and help this dog, this concerned citizen was afraid that this dog would die."

Photos of Blizzard:

Sumpter said she tried to speak to Blizzard's owners but at first, they refused. Eventually, the neighbor who called the Detroit Pit Crew spoke with the owners and convinced them to surrender the injured pup.

Once Blizzard was safely in the arms of her rescuers, Sumpter said she perked right up.

"We knew that she was sweet when we picked her up," Sumpter told The Dodo. "She was licking my helper."

Although her paws were swollen and she had frostbite after her long night outdoors, Blizzard was otherwise in good health, making her a great candidate for adoption.

The Detroit Pit Crew was able to place Blizzard in a foster home on December 13, just one day after she was rescued.

Less than a month later on January 6, the group announced on its Facebook page that Blizzard finally found her forever home.

Although Blizzard was extremely lucky to find a new family that loves her, other dogs like her are still in desperate need of rescue.

If you'd like to support the Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, visit their website or click here to donate.