Elusive Dog Shivering In Cold Finally Allows Rescuer To Save Her
After months of trying to rescue Lumi, Stray Rescue of St. Louis’ patience was finally rewarded. The young dog had been living on the streets but was very wary of being approached. “Patience is the name of the game for many of our rescues,” they wrote. “And that was certainly the case when rescuing Lumi.”
Donna Lochmann had first spotted Lumi in the summer at an abandoned home “acting like she might be protecting puppies.”
“Donna scoured the area, but there were no puppies inside or around the house,” the rescue wrote. “She appeared to be losing hair, and Donna knew she needed help, but this elusive pup was too smart for her own good. She kept her guard up at all times, like so many street dogs must do to survive on their own. They sleep with one eye open.”
Donna tried to leave out a trap but Lumi wouldn’t go in so she worked to slowly gain Lumi’s trust. “Every day, she would go by to feed her and talk gently to her. Lumi would greet her when she saw the Jeep pull up, but she wouldn’t allow Donna to get close enough to put a leash on her,” Stray Rescue wrote.
This continued for some time with Lumi evading the trap. But as winter approached, the urgency to save Lumi increased.
“One frigid day we took a chance that Lumi was somewhere inside the house trying to stay warm. We parked down the street and quietly made our way into the house,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis described. “There she was, lying in the front room! By now, Lumi had gotten used to seeing Donna and would let her get closer and closer. She was scared and gave warning growls, but finally, Donna was able to get a leash on her! To say we were overjoyed was an understatement.”
After getting her back to the shelter, rescuers noted she was covered in scars and holding a deeper secret. They wrote, “She did nothing but sleep those first few days. When the doctors spayed her, they found a deceased puppy inside of her from a previous pregnancy. She would feel so much better now, but it broke our hearts.”
Now safe, Lumi is revealing that she is not only very shy but sweet. Stray Rescue of St. Louis estimates her to be around 4.5 months old – just a pup! – and 64 pounds. They are looking for someone to foster her.
To adopt, foster, volunteer or donate please visit: Strayrescue.org/LUMI