Two homeowners in Livingston, Texas were stunned to find a baby girl trapped in their outdoor garden shed.
According to Inside Edition, John and Katherine McClain were inside their home when they noticed their dog, Archie, barking erratically at the shed.
Archie continued to bark until John went out to investigate. When he opened the shed, he was shocked to see a tiny baby girl laying on the floor of the shed, covered in bruises.
John quickly told Katherine to call 911 and they scooped the baby up and took her into their home.
In an interview with Inside Edition, Katherine said, “I picked her up and cradled her to me and she went right to sleep…[She] had bruises all over her body pretty much, she looked so tired.”
“I’m a mom, you know, and how could someone just leave a baby?” Katherine said, according to ABC13.
The 9-month-old baby girl was taken to a hospital where doctors determined she also had a broken leg. ABC13 reports that the baby’s father abandoned her in the garden shed when he stole a neighboring vehicle around 7:30 AM. The McClains called to report the vehcile theft, but they didn’t realize there was more going on.
It was around 9:30 AM when Archie the dog alerted the McClains to the baby girl, so she’d already been in the shed for two hours. If the dog hadn’t barked to let his owners know of the baby’s presence, it’s possible she would’ve been trapped in the hot garden shed for hours or even days.
Thanks to Archie, she was discovered in time to make a recovery and be reunited with her mom.
According to ABC13, the baby’s father is currently in the Polk County Jail and has been charged with felony injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, felony child endangerment/abandonment, and felony vehicle theft.
ABC13 reportedly spoke with the baby’s mother who said she shares custody of her daughter with the dad and said he’s always been a loving father. She added that she’s never been worried about her baby’s safety in his care, but after his arrest, family members spoke with the dad and said he seemed “erratic and was not acting himself.”
