Upon receiving a call about a dog in distress in the basement of an abandoned building, Donna Lochmann, the chief lifesaving officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, wasted no time in responding.
What she discovered, however, was not just a solitary dog but a small family in need of help.
As Lochmann arrived and exited her vehicle, the sound of several puppies crying immediately drew her attention. Following the direction of the cries, she located three frightened puppies, estimated to be about six weeks old, in the basement.
Meanwhile, the mother dog’s barking could be heard from elsewhere in the house. Lochmann quickly transported the puppies to her Jeep before attempting to capture their elusive mother with a trap.
Unfortunately, the wary mama dog was too frightened and ran away from the trap.
Reflecting on the challenge this posed, Lochmann remarked, “We never want to leave mom behind.” Determined, she returned to the area several times in hopes the mother dog would reappear.
On her third visit, Lochmann was finally greeted by a familiar bark coming from the first floor. As she made her way up from the basement, she heard an unexpected whimper and discovered yet another puppy, unexpectedly appearing at her feet.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Lochmann shared. Despite extensively searching on her first visit, they’d missed this fourth puppy.
As she pondered how the puppies ended up in the basement, she noticed a significant gap in the old floorboards above—a hazardous hole leading directly downwards that the puppies had unwittingly fallen through.
Lochmann found four more puppies on the first floor, bringing the total to eight, including those initially found. After ensuring their safety in her vehicle, she turned her attention once more to their mother.
Persevering, Lochmann set up a trap inside the house this time. Eventually, her patience paid off as she found the mother dog secured within it. Elated, Lochmann remarked, “That day, we got eight puppies total and their mama off the streets.”
The mother dog, named Windy Day, along with her puppies, was taken to the shelter for care. Lochmann took the first three puppies under her wing into foster care, while the other five soon found foster homes as well.
Windy Day remains at the shelter, awaiting a forever home.
Lochmann expressed her hopes that Windy Day will soon find a loving family, noting, “She’s super sweet.”
Stray Rescue of St. Louis has posted about Windy Day on their website to help find her a new family. In the meantime, the shelter team cherishes their time with the affectionate mama dog, relieved that she is no longer alone and vulnerable.
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