‘Still in disbelief.’ Dog found in lonely place after going missing following adoption
The story of a small dog who went missing after she was adopted from a Missouri shelter now has a happy ending after the pup was discovered safe and sound.
On Jan. 28, the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri in Springfield posted a flyer of a missing white terrier mix named Little Winter who disappeared in Champaign, Illinois, after being adopted.
“It has come to our attention that a dog that was adopted from our shelter is now lost. Little Winter is a 2 year old Terrier mix that went missing in the area of Champaign, IL. She is spayed and microchipped,” the shelter said on its Facebook page. “We are doing everything in our power to find Little Winter safe and sound.”
Thankfully, the shelter gave a much needed happy update Feb. 4 regarding the petite pup.
“We have the best update we could have asked for – Little Winter, the dog we posted that went missing after being adopted from our shelter, was found!” the shelter said on Facebook.
“Animal Control in Champaign, IL responded to a call that a dog was on a balcony of an abandoned building, and that’s where they found Little Winter. She was found with an old sleeping bag and a bowl of spaghetti nearby. No one will ever know, but our guess is that a homeless person may have found her and shared what little they had to try and keep her alive.”
Even though she was by herself when found, she was healthy.
“We are still in disbelief as this is truly a miracle, and we know Little Winter had guardian angels looking out for her,” the shelter said. “Both her original adopter and we had agreed it was in Little Winter’s best interest to have ownership transferred back to us, and if she was found, for her to return to the shelter for medical screening and to be adopted locally.”
But that’s not the end of Little Winter’s adventure, because she wasn’t back at the shelter for very long.
“When one of our long-time volunteers heard this story, they were touched and wanted to help Little Winter any way they could,” the shelter continued.
“After everything she had been through, we weren’t going to let just anyone adopt her – this volunteer already loved Little Winter from her time volunteering, which ended up leading to their family adopting her! We know them well and know that Little Winter will be spoiled and loved the way she deserves.”
For information on other adoptable pets at the shelter, visit their website.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM with the headline "‘Still in disbelief.’ Dog found in lonely place after going missing following adoption."