Rescuers Set Out to Save One Puppy, Then Find Two More Begging for Help
What started as a mission to save one suffering puppy turned into a heartwarming rescue of three. When Stray Rescue of St. Louis heard about an 8-month-old puppy in worsening condition on a rural property, they went out to help.
Stray Rescue wrote on Facebook, “Neighbors were seeing this puppy running for awhile. They noticed her skin was increasingly getting worse, but they just didn’t know what to do. Word reached us and we headed out to get her. She’s only about 8 months old, her skin feels like fire.”
Donna Lochmann, Stray Rescue’s Chief Lifesaving Officer, found the puppy and lured her over with some sausages. Although she was a bit timid, her rescuers noticed something else. “She’s grown up fending for herself, and we can’t believe she’s so kind,” they wrote.
As Donna carried the pup—now named Devonna—back to her Jeep, something unexpected caught her eye.
Stray Rescue described, “As we walked across the property, we saw two more little heads pop up. They were living in an outdoor pool with fencing around it. They popped up like, ‘WAIT! What about us?'”
“We asked the property owner what was going on with these other two puppies, who had crusty, hot pink skin,” they continued. “Thankfully, the owner admitted to being in over their head and agreed to let us take them, too.”
Now Donna loaded up all three puppies and headed back to St. Louis. As they drove to the animal shelter, Devonna kept drifting off to sleep. But they noticed she would not let herself lay down or get comfortable, noting, “How can she, when she’s so uncomfortable in her own skin?”
Once at the shelter, the puppies received medicated baths to treat their demodex mange, which, thankfully, is not contagious to people or other animals.
They noted, “Devonna’s case is far more severe than the others, so she’ll have a longer healing journey. But she’s already showing us so much bravery. It hurts us to look her, but we know today is the first day of the rest of her life.”
The other two puppies are Portia and Rowland also got baths. They are all going to be okay and Stray Rescue of St. Louis can’t wait to show everyone their “glow ups” in a few weeks.
To support Stray Rescue of St. Louis and the work they do please visit their website.
