An animal rescuer has detailed the horrifying experience of a starving dog who was chained up outside, and the traumatic lengths she went to just to survive.

Earlier this year, Jenni Busby, 47, a volunteer for Magnolia Mutts Rescue in Grenada, Mississippi, was alerted to a couple of dogs who were chained up without shelter or food. They were reported by a neighbor, who said it looked as though "one dog was dead from starvation," and the other one was struggling.

Busby headed there immediately and found the pup, named Skittles, curled up in a broken litter box, trying to stay warm. Beside her was the ribcage of the dog who passed, as Busby told Newsweek "there was no question how she was still alive." Poor Skittles had resorted to eating the corpse of the other dog as she was so hungry and malnourished.

"Thinking about what she went through is devastating. The thought of her potentially starving in the cold and without shelter hurts my heart. She had a heavy chain around her neck, preventing her from fending for herself, and it was so tangled she couldn't get out of the rain," Busby said.

Although Skittles was weary of Busby at first, it was clear that she was thankful to be getting help. Busby helped her out of the chain and put her in the back of her car, where she started eating the dog food provided.

It's unclear how long Skittles was kept outside without food, but Busby is relieved that chapter of her life is now over. Her home is already filled with many foster dogs, so it didn't take long for Skittles to make new friends and start feeling like she belonged.

"She seemed very sad the first week, but it didn't take long for her to come around," Busby continued.

"She gets along with everyone she meets, but she does have a problem with digging holes in the yard, and she chases squirrels and skunks too. She loves being outside so much, we have a hard time getting her to come back in because she spends tons of time running outside and enjoying being a dog."

Indeed, Skittles spends most of her day outside, potentially as a result of being kept outside in her former home. Sometimes, Busby can't even bring her in at night, so she goes to bed and waits for Skittles to bark when she's ready to come inside—even if it's 3 am.

As a result, Busby has taken to calling Skittles her "problem child" in jest. However, seeing how happy the rescue pup is now makes the sleepless nights worth it.

"Most of the dogs want to sleep in the bed on and I have to push them off me all night long. But Skittles took up residence in a crate in our living room instead. We keep the door open at all times, and it's become her sanctuary ever since," Busby told Newsweek.

In time, Skittles will be put up for adoption and will hopefully find her forever home. That can't happen yet however, as she is heartworm positive and has a bacterial virus spread by ticks called ehrlichiosis.

Busby shared a heartbreaking video on TikTok (@magnoliamuttsrescue) showing the moment she found Skittles, as well as footage of her thriving now. The clip went viral with over 108,300 views and 7,200 likes in a matter of days, much to Busby's surprise.

She hopes that this will encourage more people to advocate for animals in need, and to do what they can for those who need a loving home.

With over 460 comments on the viral TikTok video at the time of writing, many social media users thanked Busby for saving Skittles and giving her the chance to learn what it's really like to be loved.

One TikTok user wrote: "Poor little baby, how could anyone do that. Sickening."

Another person added: "Thank you for rescuing her."

While one comment reads: "This is heartbreaking. How can people do this?"

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.