Heartbreaking Rescue: German Shepherd Found Alone In The Rain Holding Stuffed Animal

German Shepherd rescued after being on street for months

The German shepherd's road to recovery began in early May, when images of the pup circulated among Metro Detroit organisations.

"I received some private messages and photos of this dog carrying her stuffed toy while it was raining in downtown Detroit. Seeing Nikki for the first time was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking," Gail Montgomery, cofounder of Almost Home Animal Rescue League, tells PEOPLE.

Montgomery was shown images of Nikki alone in the rain, clutching a plush toy in her mouth. Montgomery put her emotional reaction to the photo of the German shepherd into action.

She contacted South Lyon Murphy Lost Animal Recovery for assistance in locating the dog and removing her from the street. Montgomery's "queen of catch" arrived and was able to pick up Nikki, who was carrying her pet animal.

Montgomery eventually discovered that Nikki had been living on her own for months, most likely because her owner had died. The dog was surviving on the kindness of others and begging for leftovers.

"We took her to an emergency room, where she was treated." Unfortunately, she has heartworm illness as well as other internal issues. "At Nikki's first vet visit, they discovered plastic bags, twigs, and bones in her stomach," Montgomery adds.

Nikki was placed in a foster home soon after

Nikki was placed in a foster home by Almost Home, a foster-based, no-kill animal rescue league, after seeing the vet, where she is still receiving therapy. "She was just totally stressed out," Montgomery says of Nikki before the rescue.

"Her body wasn't really functioning properly because she had been on the roads for so long." Nikki is recuperating physically and mentally, revealing more of her personality every day, thanks to a balanced diet of chicken and rice and a constant dose of TLC from her foster family.

"She no longer requires her stuffy. She's always hugging her foster parents," Montgomery says, adding, "but she's not obsessed with it like she was in Detroit when she was walking around." Nikki has gone to the spa since moving in with her foster family and is generally "living the life." "They're giving her so much incredible love," Montgomery adds, adding that "the nicer you are to her, the more affectionate and kinder she gets."

The Almost Home cofounder, who founded the nonprofit with her daughter, hopes Nikki's tale will motivate animal lovers to consider the pets that aren't getting the attention they need.