She survived 3 weeks locked inside a shipping container—now she’s learning how to love again

Three weeks. No water. No light. No hope.
She survived a transoceanic journey locked inside a shipping container from China to the United States. When workers opened the crate, they expected silence. But then… she blinked.

She was found during a routine unloading at a U.S. port. Curled up, starved and skeletal, at the back of a cargo container. No one could believe she was alive—but she was. And when the sunlight touched her fur, she opened her wide, dazed eyes and looked back.

They called her “Stowaway.” A tiny girl who hadn’t meant to travel, who hadn’t asked for any of this—but somehow made it through.

She was rushed to a local animal control center. But it was clear—Stowaway didn’t just need food or shelter. She needed quiet. Gentle care. A place where no one asked anything of her except to rest.

After a medical evaluation by Companion Animal Care & Control, Stowaway was transferred to Pet Haven, Inc. of Minnesota—home of the Wallflower Program, designed for shy, traumatized animals who need time and space to heal.

They didn’t force her to cuddle. They didn’t expect quick affection.
Instead, they gave her a quiet corner, a warm blanket, a bowl of fresh food—and time.

On day one, she didn’t move.
On day three, she sniffed her food.
By day five, she left her blanket briefly.
On day seven, she let a volunteer touch her head—gently.

She sets the pace. And no one is rushing her.

She is no longer “cargo.”
She is a soul. A story unfolding—one cautious pawstep at a time.

We believe, one day, Stowaway will find her forever home.
A place where she’s not just surviving—but thriving.
And when that day comes, the first thing she’ll hear will be a soft whisper:
“You’re safe now. And you are so, so loved.”