On a cold winter night in San Antonio, Texas, Corporal Perry of Animal Care Services responded to what she thought was a routine call. A resident had reported a “dangerous” stray pit bull barking persistently outside their door. It was 9:30 p.m., and temperatures were dropping fast.
When Perry arrived, though, the scene before her was nothing like she expected.
“I was expecting a big, scary dog,” Perry told The Dodo. “Instead, I found a scared little girl just trying to stay warm in an abandoned car seat surrounded by trash.”
The stray — later named Martha — had curled herself into a tiny ball inside a discarded child’s car seat, using it as a shield against the biting wind. Her ribs showed through her thin coat, and her eyes carried both exhaustion and fear.
San Antonio was in the middle of an unusual winter storm. Even Perry, wrapped in her jacket, was shivering. But Martha didn’t move when she approached. She simply looked over her shoulder, then turned away — as if unsure whether this stranger would bring kindness or more pain.
Sensing that the dog wanted help but didn’t yet trust it, Perry knelt down and spoke softly, coaxing her toward the warmth of her truck. After a moment’s hesitation, Martha climbed in, curled up on a blanket, and wagged her tail gently.
“It was amazing how quickly she came around,” Perry said. “It was like she knew I was there to help her.”
At the shelter, Martha devoured the food placed before her — proof of just how long she’d gone hungry. She was underweight, heartworm positive, and had clearly given birth to litters before. Yet when she spotted a crate full of dog toys, her tail began to wag again. She picked one — a little plush bear — and carried it proudly back to her kennel.
“Her lovey bear became her comfort,” said Lisa Norwood, public relations manager for San Antonio Animal Care Services. “She carried it everywhere.”
Still, the shelter wasn’t the best place for a dog like Martha to heal. She needed a home, patience, and a soft bed that wasn’t made of plastic and trash. That’s when the Mains family saw her story online and offered to foster her.
Within days, Martha was in a warm house, learning what family life feels like. Her three foster dog siblings became her teachers, showing her the ropes of being a “real dog.”
“Her fosters say she sleeps on their bed at night and follows them everywhere,” Norwood shared. “Her foster mom jokes, ‘She doesn’t quite know how to be a dog yet — but she’s learning.’”
Martha now spends her days collecting every toy she can find — her plush bear always front and center — and snuggling up to her foster parents like she never wants to let go. She’s undergoing treatment for heartworm and slowly gaining weight, her coat now glossy and soft.
Soon, she’ll be ready for adoption — ready to trade that cold, broken car seat for a lifetime of comfort, love, and bedtime cuddles.
Because for this once-forgotten pup, survival isn’t enough anymore. She deserves to live.
