Rapid River, Mich. -- A dog that was a past victim of animal abuse helped save the life of a 3-year-old girl in Michigan last week.

The dog, rescued from abuse last year and now with a new family, was "going crazy" one morning at her house, according to the Detroit Free Press. She was running up and down the stairs and barking and yelping, the paper said.

A family member took the dog, named Peanut, outside and the animal promptly took off running into a field behind the home. The man followed and found a 3-year-old girl curled up in a ball in a ditch, according to WLUC in Michigan.

The girl was alone, naked and shivering, the station said. She was found near Rapid River on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The man who found the girl wrapped her up in his sweatshirt, brought her inside and called 911, the Free Press said. By the time an ambulance and police arrived, the girl could say only one thing, "doggie."

The girl is OK, according to the Free Press. Authorities located her parents in a nearby home and found unsafe and unsanitary living conditions.

The 3-year-old and another child were both removed from the house and prosecutors are reviewing the case.

Before landing with her new family, Peanut arrived at a shelter last April in bad shape, according to WLUC. She had two broken legs, broken ribs and a digestive track that was full of carpet.

The Delta Animal Shelter, which rescued the dog, posted about her hero turn on Facebook. The post has been shared over 3,100 times.

Former Abused Shelter Dog now Local Hero Petunia arrived at the shelter last April with 2 broken legs, a belly full of... Posted by Delta Animal Shelter on Monday, March 20, 2017

Shelter workers nursed her back to health before she was adopted. Her former owners were convicted of abuse, WLUC said.

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