Sometimes, life presents moments that seem almost magical, especially when it comes to rescuing animals in need. Such was the case for Donna Lochmann, chief lifesaving officer at the Stray Rescue of St.
Louis, during a rescue mission that revealed more puppies than she initially expected.
Donna’s day took an unexpected twist when she responded to a call about a dog abandoned in a basement. She was prepared to find just one dog, but as she arrived at the empty house, the sound of puppies crying caught her attention.
At first, she thought it might be a figment of her imagination, but the noises led her to the basement. There, she discovered three tiny puppies, approximately six weeks old, who were scared but unharmed.
As Donna gently collected the puppies, ready to take them to safety, she was interrupted by barking from elsewhere in the house.
Concluding it might be the puppies’ mother, she set up a humane trap, hoping to reunite the family. Unfortunately, the mother dog fled before she could be captured.
“Our goal is to never leave a mother behind,” Donna shared. Determined, she returned twice to the location, finding no trace of the elusive mother.
On her third attempt, as she ascended the stairs, she was startled to hear a bark behind her. She turned to find a fourth puppy, evidently wondering why it had been missed.
Despite her thorough initial search of the basement, Donna uncovered the reason for the oversight: a large hole in the floorboards above the basement, through which some puppies had fallen.
Reaching the upper floor, she found four more puppies, bringing the total to eight.
After securing the new puppies, Donna resolved to capture their mother. Her persistence paid off, and the mother, later named Windy Day, was safely trapped and reunited with her puppies.
Windy Day and her litter were taken to the shelter for care. The initial three puppies found temporary refuge in foster care with Donna, while the others soon found loving homes.
As for Windy Day, she awaits a family willing to offer her the love she deserves.
The story highlights a sobering statistic: only about 27% of larger dogs find permanent homes through foster care. Everyone hopes Windy Day will soon be part of that fortunate group.
Donna Lochmann deserves immense gratitude for her relentless dedication and courage, consistently rescuing animals in distress and giving them a chance for a better life.
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