When Donna Lochmann, the chief rescue officer of Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL), along with her team, were navigating through a snowstorm searching for animals that required assistance, something unusual drew her attention.
Through the window of her Jeep, Donna noticed a large, gray mass concealed beneath a white van.
As the mass abruptly shifted, the rescuers understood it was an animal in search of refuge from the snow.
Nevertheless, they were uncertain about the type of animal they were dealing with. Regardless, the remarkable team halted their vehicle and exited to provide aid.
Unidentified Animal
Even when the rescuers got closer to the creature, they continued to struggle in determining what it was.
“His fur was so long, you could hardly distinguish which side was his face. You could somewhat make out his nose,” Donna explained to The Dodo.
Upon closer examination, Donna realized that the creature was, in fact, a dog with severely tangled fur.
Given that his fur was knotted in large masses, tugging at his skin, Donna speculated that he must have been in agony. However, she soon learned that the situation was worse than expected, as the snow had saturated his fur, causing it to stick to the concrete.
“This dear boy was found literally frozen to the ground. After years of neglect, his long, matted hair was filled with feces, urine, and ICE,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis stated in a Facebook post.
Without hesitation, Donna crawled under the van, sliding a leash over the dog’s neck and speaking to him in a soothing and affectionate tone, aiming to coax him out.
“He screamed… But with expertise and perseverance, Donna managed to get him safely into the warm Jeep,” the post stated.
The team swaddled the little fellow in a warm blanket, secured him in the vehicle, and transported him to the St. Louis clinic.
At The Veterinary Clinic
Upon arrival at the vet, he was set to undergo a complete examination; however, due to his matted fur, the veterinarians were unable to carry that out.
“We had to remove the hair from him. It’s a laborious task when it’s that entangled, attempting to get it off,” Donna noted.
The dedicated veterinary team began methodically working through his tangles with a pair of clippers, taking care not to inflict any harm on him.
After a while at the veterinary grooming station, the dog, now called Pilgrim, was finally liberated.
“He must have felt so much relief with all that hair removed. It might’ve weighed around six pounds,” she remarked.
While shaving the mats, the veterinarians discovered a wound on one of Pilgrim’s back legs, which was later determined, via an X-ray, to be a fractured pelvis.
The dog underwent surgery to mend his fractures and, after just three weeks, achieved a full recovery.
As a rejuvenated dog, free from injuries and mats, Pilgrim was prepared to enter foster care.
A Fresh Start
A wonderful couple, Taylor and Joe, learned about Pilgrim’s remarkable journey and chose to foster him.
Upon his arrival at his new residence, Pilgrim and his adoptive family, who already had several furry companions, bonded immediately.
As they got to know this courageous pup better, the couple realized that fostering this dog wasn’t their ultimate choice – they wanted to adopt him!
“Pilgrim blends in flawlessly with our family, so we opted for a foster failure. He’s an extremely happy boy,” the couple expressed to SRSL in a letter shared on Facebook.
Since then, Pilgrim, now renamed Oscar, is leading the most fulfilling life! He is enveloped by amazing individuals who relish spending time with him, playing, cuddling, and, most importantly, grooming his fur!
“He’s enjoying [a] wonderful, cozy life and adds happiness to his family every day. [We] adore this!” SRSL remarked in an update.