Stray Rescue of St. Louis
They say it takes a village to keep a dog, but in Anne McChord’s case, it takes a village to save a dog.
Anne McChord was barely 3 years old when a family found her tucked away in a corner of their backyard one hot summer day. They didn’t know how long she was out, but they could see how thin she was, and that time was crucial.
So they put the puppy in a large Tupperware container and immediately called Stray Rescue in St. Louis for help.
“When I got there, she was in really bad shape,” Donna Lochmann, chief lifesaving officer for the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, told The Dodo. “I really don’t think she’ll last much longer.”
Fortunately, the family called for help in time. According to Lochmann, Annie McHound was emaciated and had more fleas on her body than experienced rescuers had seen in a long time.
Lockman carefully loaded the puppy into her car and called the shelter’s veterinary team to give them an advance look at Annie’s condition. That’s when Annie’s loyal village of life-saving helpers began to take shape.
The squad’s first attack plan was to thoroughly clean Annie when she got there.
After the shower, the team quickly realized that Annie couldn’t get up on her own. So they wrapped her in a soft blanket to make her as comfortable as possible in one of the kennels.
They tried giving her fluids, but when she still wasn’t getting stronger, the team decided to send her to the emergency center for a blood transfusion.
Annie’s village has fallen in love with her within the first few hours of meeting her and can’t wait for her return. They are eager to continue to take care of their new partner’s recovery.
When Anne returned, the sick pup had to spend most of her time in an oxygen chamber to strengthen her lungs, which were severely damaged by anemia.
But her dedicated village of shelter workers is with her every step of the way. When she’s not in the oxygen room, the team will take her outside and sit with her in the sun.
“We wanted to give her some fresh air,” Lockman said. “And she really enjoyed being with us.”
Slowly, Annie started getting stronger and stronger. When her lungs were finally healthy enough to breathe without the help of an oxygen chamber, she was moved out of the clinic and into an area of the shelter where she could be with other animals.
“That’s when she finally started acting like a dog,” Lockman said. “She started making friends with other dogs and absolutely loves playing with them. “
You can see Annie and her friends running around here:
Anne was placed in foster care shortly after moving out of the clinic. While she’s not yet adopted, Rockman is happy to say she’s thriving.
Annie’s rescue story isn’t over yet, but everyone at Stray Rescue of St. Louis is proud of what she accomplished, despite the odds.
“We are really grateful that the family saw her [in their yard] because she turned out to be a really great dog,” Rockman said. “We just adore her! “
