It’s not every day you find a puppy on the side of the road—fortunately—but when Crystal Floyd spotted an abandoned French bulldog, she did not hesitate to act.
The unexpected discovery occurred on May 6, 2026, when Floyd was driving and spotted the small puppy wandering along the street, totally alone. She could not believe her eyes and instantly pulled the car over to help the poor dog, who was filthy and terrified.
After driving to a few nearby houses and trying to locate the dog’s owner, Floyd, of Saint George, South Carolina, came to the realization that the dog was not lost, but rather, he had been abandoned. She told Newsweek that she cannot be certain why the French bulldog, named Indy, was left for dead, but she believes he was “dumped due to his medical issues.”
Floyd, 42, took Indy to a local vet’s office that same day to find out if he had a microchip. While there were no results, the vet estimated that Indy was around 8 weeks old as he was yet to lose any baby teeth.
“Indy was diagnosed with puppy strangles, which is an autoimmune disease that puppies tend to grow out of with treatment,” Floyd said. “He has begun treatment for puppy strangles and he will likely continue that for about five weeks. He also had a heart murmur and an ear infection, which have resolved with treatment. Once he has completed his treatment for puppy strangles, we will then start his vaccines.”
Puppy strangles is another name for juvenile cellulitis, an uncommon skin condition that can affect dogs up to six months of age. The condition causes sudden swelling of the face and muzzle followed by raise bumps and pustules. It can also leave dogs feeling unwell, lethargic and cause a loss of appetite, according to VCA Animal Hospitals.
While the pustules can rupture and crust over, this may cause heavy scabbing across the affected areas and permanent scarring may ensue. VCA Animal Hospitals notes that any scarring is only cosmetic and does not impact the dog’s quality of life.
At first, Floyd presumed she would just rescue the puppy from the side of the road and hopefully return him to his family. When it became clear he did not have an owner, she began to think long-term and knew she needed a plan. The thought of adopting Indy seemed out of the question as Floyd and her family already have multiple pets, but when she saw how comfortable he was in her home, the impossible started to seem more like reality.
“I have two other dogs named Barley and Millie, three cats named Kona, Hamilton and Bootsie, and six chickens, Salt, Pepper, Henny, Fluffy, Shadow and Marshmallow. But Indy has fit in so well with everyone and we have decided that we are indeed keeping him,” Floyd said.
“I feel like he knew this was his home from day one though. He gets along well with all the other animals and settles in his kennel at night without making a peep.”
Adopting Indy has not been completely seamless however, as his medical conditions did cause some challenges initially. When he first came home, Indy’s face was so swollen that he could not pick up his food, meaning Floyd had to feed him by hand for the first few days. Once the treatment started to work, the swelling quickly went down.
Floyd took to social media (@realhousewifeofchs on TikTok) to document the incredible moment she rescued Indy from the roadside, and of course, his subsequent adoption. The videos have melted plenty of hearts online and generated millions of views on TikTok. Many people reached out to thank Floyd for saving Indy and giving him the chance to thrive.
Floyd told Newsweek: “Sometimes God sends us what we are not looking for but what he knows we need.”
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