Senior Dog Abandoned 'Like a Sack of Trash' Rescued From Texas Gas Station

A woman pulled up to the right place at the right time when she discovered an abandoned dog dumped "like a sack of trash" and hiding under a car at a Texas gas station.

LeighAnne Coleman, known on Reddit as @Left_Relationship_86, told Newsweek she spotted the skinny, fragile, senior German shepherd when she was filling up her car. Without hesitation, she acted.

Coleman picked up a can of wet dog food, a bowl and water from inside the gas station to give to the dog, which immediately began to trust her. She got into Coleman's car and within minutes was asleep. It was perfect timing because heavy rains started an hour later and a cold front was quickly moving into the area.

"The way she passed out in the back seat of my car within minutes with her face just collapsed is the moment when I knew I had to help this girl," Coleman wrote in a Reddit comment. "She has not felt safe or wanted in a LONG time."

Mulan, as the dog was named, was brought to a boarding facility to be housed until Coleman could get her to a veterinarian. Since the November 9 post was shared to the r/national_pet_adoption subreddit feed, Mulan has been bathed, vaccinated and given flea medications. Coleman dropped off a bed, blanket, treats and vitamins from the donations she received after sharing Mulan's story.

The vet told Coleman on Monday that Mulan is pregnant and halfway through her term. As much as Coleman wants to foster Mulan, she lives in a one-bedroom apartment and would not be able to host Mulan and her babies. Plus, she has two other foster animals living there, with one getting adopted on Tuesday.

Coleman only recently started fostering dogs from the Houston-based BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions with her fiancé. They have saved five dogs from being euthanized during their first month and a half as foster parents.

As for Mulan's current living situation, the boarding facility has asked for her to be moved by next week. The facility does not want the risk of canine parvovirus spread to other dogs, Coleman wrote in a Reddit update.

"Absolutely ridiculous a dog that age is pregnant and roaming Houston streets," she told Newsweek.

Although there is always a risk with pregnancy, the older a dog is the greater the chances of complications, with some even life-threatening.

An older pregnant dog might have to go through an emergency C-section, and there is a chance that only a single puppy will be born, according to Pet Wise, a senior pet insurance company. Older dogs are much weaker and might have difficulty producing enough milk for their puppies. Other complications for senior dogs that are pregnant are canine dystocia, eclampsia and mastitis.

"This poor elderly momma has been through so much," she wrote in the update.

Coleman is quickly seeking a foster family in the Houston area to house Mulan and her future pups. She's asking those interested to message her on Reddit.

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