It has been said that it takes a village to raise a dog, but in the case of Annie McHound, it took a village to save one.
A family discovered Annie McHound hiding in a backyard corner when she was under 3 years old. It was a hot summer day. Although they did not know how long she had been there, they could tell from how frail she was that they were running out of time.
To get assistance, they put the puppy in a large Tupperware container and called Stray Rescue of St. Louis right away.
“She was in really bad shape when I got there,” Donna Lochmann, the chief life-saving officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, said. “I really don’t think she would’ve lasted much longer.”
Fortunately, the family quickly requested assistance. Annie McHound was thin and covered in more fleas, according to Lochmann, than the skilled rescuer had seen in a long time.
Lochmann called the shelter’s medical staff to alert them to Annie’s condition while she was transferred into her car. At that point, Annie’s devoted village of life-saving volunteers began to take shape.
When Annie arrived, the team’s first move was a thorough cleaning of the area.
The group understood right away that Annie could not stand up by herself after her wash. To make her as comfortable as possible in one of the kennels, they wrapped her in a lovely blanket.
The team attempted to give her fluids, but since she was not improving, they opted to take her to an emergency facility so that she could have a blood transfusion.
Within those first few hours of meeting her, Annie’s tribe had already fallen in love with her and could not wait for her to return. They were eager to keep helping their new friend recover.
The team attempted to give her fluids, but since she was not improving, they opted to take her to an emergency facility so that she could have a blood transfusion.
Within those first few hours of meeting her, Annie’s tribe had already fallen in love with her and could not wait for her to return. They were eager to keep helping their new friend recover.
The poor puppy, whose lungs had been greatly harmed from anemia, had to spend most of her time in an oxygen chamber when Annie got back.
But she had a supportive tribe of shelter employees by her side the entire time. When she wasn’t in her oxygen chamber, the crew would sit with her outside in the sun.
According to Lochmann, “We wanted her to enjoy some fresh air. And she really loved spending time with us out there.”
Annie started to gain strength gradually. She was transferred out of the clinic and into a section of the shelter where she could be with other animals when her lungs were eventually strong enough to breathe without the assistance of an oxygen chamber.
“That’s when she finally started acting like a dog,” Lochmann said. “She started making friends with other dogs and absolutely loved playing with them.”
Here you may see Annie and her friends running around:
Soon after being transferred out of the facility, Annie entered foster care. And while she has not yet been adopted, Lochmann is delighted to report that she was doing well.
Even though Annie’s journey to rescue is not complete, everyone at Stray Rescue of St. Louis is proud of how far she came despite all the challenges.
“We’re really grateful that that family saw her [in their yard] because she turned out to be a really great dog,” Lochmann added. “We just adore her! ”
SOURCE: THE DODO
