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When Donna Lochmann, the chief life-saving officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, received a tip about a Pit Bull family hiding in a neglected backyard, she knew it would be a delicate situation. A concerned local had alerted the rescue group after spotting a mother dog guarding several young puppies among thick weeds and overgrowth.
Upon arriving at the property, Lochmann quickly spotted a few of the puppies, but her focus was on the adult dog. Understanding that the mother could react defensively, especially if strangers tried to handle her young, Lochmann decided it was best to gain her trust first.
“I thought, ‘Well, I’m just gonna try to get mom first because if she’s barking at me, I don’t know what her reaction is gonna be when I start picking up her puppies,’” Lochmann told The Dodo.
She used a few Vienna sausages to win over the hungry mother, and it worked. The dog, later named Donutfest, was safely loaded into the car. With the mom secure, Lochmann turned her attention to finding each of her puppies.
The first puppy she found was near a fence, quietly sitting alone. Although it didn’t run, it let out an ear-piercing cry when picked up. “She absolutely started screaming,” Lochmann recalled. “I can’t believe nobody in the neighborhood came out to see what was going on.” The little one was gently placed in the car with Donutfest.
She then located two more pups hiding in the thick brush and another resting on a discarded couch. The three proved more elusive, bolting into deeper cover as she approached. Rather than chase them, Lochmann tried a different approach—cracking open a can of puppy food. Enticed by the scent, each one eventually came to her on their own.
Only one puppy remained. This final pup jumped from the couch in a last attempt to get away, but he wasn’t quick enough. Lochmann managed to catch him without much trouble.
“It took me a while to get the last three puppies,” she admitted. “But once I got them all in the car, I was so happy.”
After thorough checkups, the puppies were placed in loving foster homes. When Stray Rescue of St. Louis posted a group photo of the litter online, interest surged. “I think most of them are already spoken for as far as finding their forever homes,” Lochmann noted.
While the puppies quickly found potential adopters, Donutfest was still waiting for a home of her own. But her transformation was nothing short of incredible. From a wary, protective mom to a cheerful, affectionate dog, her personality had blossomed.
“She’s completely just a happy, smiley, bouncy girl now who loves her caregivers and going on walks,” said Lochmann. “We would love for her to be in a home and finally get adopted.”
Staff members at Stray Rescue continued to shower Donutfest with love and remained hopeful that her turn to be chosen would come soon.
