While navigating a snowstorm, Donna Lochmann, the chief life-saving officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL), and her team spotted something unusual.
From her Jeep, Donna noticed a large, gray mass hiding beneath a white van.
As the mass shifted, the rescuers quickly realized it was an animal seeking refuge from the snow.
Uncertain of the animal’s identity, the dedicated team parked and stepped out to assist.
The Unidentified Creature
Even as they approached the creature, the rescuers were still baffled by its identity.
“His fur was so long that it was difficult to determine where his face was; you could barely make out his nose,” Donna shared with The Dodo.
Upon closer examination, Donna discovered that the creature was actually a dog suffering from extremely matted fur.
With his fur tightly knotted, which was clearly causing him discomfort, Donna feared that the situation was dire, especially since the snow had soaked his coat, causing it to bond to the pavement.
“This precious boy was found literally frozen to the ground. After years of neglect, his long, matted coat was riddled with feces, urine, and ICE,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis stated in a Facebook post.
Without hesitation, Donna crawled under the van, carefully placing a leash around the dog’s neck while speaking to him gently and soothingly, hoping to coax him out.
“He cried out in distress… But with great skill and compassion, Donna managed to get him safely inside the warm Jeep,” the post stated.
The team bundled the little dog in a cozy blanket, secured him in the vehicle, and rushed him to the veterinary clinic in St. Louis.
At The Veterinary Clinic
Upon arrival at the clinic, the dog was meant to receive a comprehensive examination; however, due to his severely matted fur, the veterinarians found it difficult to proceed.
“We had to shave him down first. It’s quite the process when his coat is that knotted,” Donna remarked.
The determined veterinary team carefully began clipping away his matted fur, ensuring not to cause him any harm.
After dedicating time to grooming, the dog, who was subsequently named Pilgrim, was finally liberated from his burden.
“He must have felt an immense relief after losing all that hair; he probably shed about six pounds of fur,” she commented.
During the shaving process, the veterinarians discovered a wound on one of Pilgrim’s hind legs, which was later diagnosed as a fractured pelvis with the help of an X-ray.
The pup underwent surgery to mend his broken bones, and after just three weeks, he made a complete recovery.
Now a rejuvenated dog free from pain and matting, Pilgrim was prepared to enter foster care.
A New Beginning
A wonderful couple, Taylor and Joe, learned about Pilgrim’s inspiring journey and opted to foster him.
From the moment he arrived at their home, Pilgrim immediately bonded with his new family, who had other furry friends.
As they got to know this courageous pup, the couple realized that foster care wasn’t enough – they had to adopt him!
“Pilgrim integrates perfectly into our family, so we chose to ‘foster fail.’ He’s an incredibly happy boy,” they shared in a note to SRSL, which was featured on Facebook.
Since then, Pilgrim, now renamed Oscar, has been living his best life! He is surrounded by loving people who enjoy spending time with him, playing, cuddling, and, most importantly, grooming him!
“He’s enjoying a good, comfortable life and brings happiness to his family daily. [We] love to see this!” SRSL shared in an update.
