Chained Dog Whines in Rescuer’s Arms After Being Saved from Freezing Cold
Dangerous, life-threatening temperatures, snow, and ice are descending on St. Louis and other U.S. cities this weekend, and rescuers at Stray Rescue of St. Louis are racing against the clock to bring as many homeless animals indoors as possible before the storm hits.
During one of these urgent patrols, Donna, the shelter’s Chief Lifesaving Officer, and her team spotted a dog chained up outside in the freezing conditions. He was dangerously thin and had open wounds on his legs.
The team refused to leave him there. They rescued him immediately, cutting the chain and naming him Igloo.They shared the moment on Facebook:
“He is now in the warm Jeep and we’ve never had more pleasure cutting a chain than we did, his. He is ours now and if anyone tries to claim with an excuse as to why he was outside, we will press charges.”
Igloo was brought back to the shelter, where he began to warm up and quickly shared an adorable moment with Cassady, one of the shelter staff. The two were so happy to meet that Cassady “just about climbed in his spot with him.”
“WELCOME TO RESPECT AND DIGNITY, Igloo!! We’ll fatten you up, heal your wounds, and someone lucky will take you to foster until you find your forever home! You will not be treated like disposable property ever again,” they wrote. “You’ll never be lonely, hungry, or suffering ever again. You’ll never be on a chain ever again.”
While Igloo is now safe, Stray Rescue of St. Louis says they are bracing for an overwhelming number of “cold rescues” following the winter storm.
In anticipation of overcrowding, the organization has opened Emergency BLIZZARD Rovernight sign-ups, encouraging people to take a dog home for a few days, as well as offering foster classes to help new families step in as quickly as possible.
They added, “If you absolutely cannot take in a dog or cat, please consider covering a hotel stay for one of our staff members! With over 120 dogs, clinic patients, and kitty cats, we have to be here, even when there is snow and ice. Luckily, there is a hotel across the street, so our staff can spend the night and walk over Sunday morning. Hotel rooms are $115 each.”
Volunteers can sign up here: Strayrescue.org/snowstorm
Read What to Do if You See a Dog Left Outside in Cold Weather and Winter Safety And Care Tips Every Dog Owner Should Know for tips for keeping dogs safe in freezing temperatures.