Rescue groups are accustomed to encountering all sorts of situations. They have all saved a remarkable number of dogs and puppies in distress from countless circumstances.
When the Stray Rescue of St. Louis organization received a call that day, they assumed it would be just one pup… a standard rescue effort.
However, they were in for a shock. Not just one, but a total of six puppies, an entire litter, had been abandoned by the roadside, waiting for an unfortunate mishap to occur.
If it hadn’t been for a bus driver who alerted them, who knows what fate awaited those unfortunate little ones.
A Fluffy Bundle That Shifted
It was a drizzly day when a school bus driver from St. Louis, Missouri, was making her rounds. She paused, waiting for her next shift to begin, when something caught her eye in the distance. It appeared to be a dark, fluffy mass, and the bus driver initially thought it was a pile of refuse.
Yet, she quickly realized that the movement was not a figment of her imagination: The mass was genuinely moving.
A swift phone call to the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, and they were en route.
Every Second Counts
Donna Lochmann, the chief lifesaving officer with SRSL, arrived at the indicated location and began searching for the puppies right away. She was aware that every second counted because the puppies were exposed to the elements, and it had been raining all morning.
Before long, guided by the sounds of whimpering, Lochmann discovered a cluster of four puppies. They were trembling and crying out for help. A prompt response brought them to the safety of Lochmann’s vehicle.
However, the initial report mentioned that there were six puppies in total. Where were the other two?
Lochmann scoured the area and located the other two puppies hiding in the underbrush.
The entire litter was successfully saved, and it was time to return to the SRSL headquarters.
“I provided them with warm baths to help raise their body temperature,” Lochmann stated. “Then, we fed them wet food, and they were so famished. Their stomachs were so swollen when they finished eating,” Lochmann shared with The Dodo.
The unfortunate puppies were merely 6 to 7 weeks old. They were malnourished, abandoned outside without adequate care, and suffering from a ringworm outbreak.
Luckily, the rescuers did an outstanding job, and all six puppies were ready to be taken to their foster home that very night.
The puppies were distributed in pairs, to ease the transition for them.
The Update
O’Brien, O’Keefe, O’Neil, O’Hara, O’Mara, and O’Reily are all thriving. They were given blessed Irish names since they were rescued right before St. Patrick’s Day. Well, it seems they found their little pot of gold!
The unfortunate little ones transformed into actual puppies, as if they had never endured such hardship.
If it hadn’t been for that bus driver and her phone call, those puppies might not have made it through that rainy day.
It’s amazing what a bit of TLC can accomplish.
These puppies now have loving homes and a promising future ahead of them.
A situation that broke the hearts of all rescuers at SRSL ultimately had a joyful conclusion.
While we cannot stop puppies from being abandoned, we can assist those in distress. The Stray Rescue of St. Louis would greatly appreciate your support through donations, as they perform an extraordinary job.