Winters in St. Louis, Missouri, are unforgiving, with temperatures dropping to the single digits. For stray animals, the bitter cold is more than just uncomfortable—it can be deadly.Thankfully, the dedicated team at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) works tirelessly during these frigid months to save dogs in distress. No weather is too harsh for them when it comes to rescuing lives.
One particularly cold day, during one of their routine searches, the SRSL team came across an abandoned house. What they expected to be a typical check of a vacant property quickly turned into a heartbreaking discovery. There, in the backyard, was a little dog, left alone and desperately in need of help.
As the rescuers approached the house, they were shocked to find a small dog chained to a doghouse.
His water bowl was frozen solid, and he was curled up on the cold ground, visibly shivering from the bitter wind.
“The cold wind howled, and even after just a few moments, it was painful to be outside. The cruelty of leaving this sweet dog in such conditions chills us to the core,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis shared on Facebook. Donna Lochmann, a compassionate rescuer with SRSL, felt her heart break at the sight of the little dog. How could anyone abandon such a helpless soul to suffer in the cold?“Why someone believed you deserved this is beyond understanding. But you’re free now,” the team posted with a sigh of relief.The dog, now lovingly named Eskimo Joe, watched Donna and the team with cautious hope.His tail began to wag, and as they moved closer, he pressed his body against Donna, sensing that his long nightmare was about to end.
Eskimo Joe had endured unimaginable hardship—no food, no water, no warmth. But in that moment, all of it faded away.He was finally safe, and the team wasted no time getting him into the warmth of Donna’s Jeep. As they drove away from the house, Eskimo Joe settled in, staring at Donna with gratitude.
