On a cold, rainy day, a little puppy named Chowder thought he had found the perfect place to stay dry. A garage behind an abandoned building had become a dumping ground for furniture and neighborhood trash, and that’s where Chowder discovered a discarded mattress and crawled under it.
But things were about to get a lot better for the little stray.
“[There’s a] super nice couple that lives in the area, and the husband had apparently gone out into the alley to throw trash,” Donna Lochmann, a rescuer with Stray Rescue from St. Louis, told The Dodo. “When the husband came out, he noticed that this white dog had found shelter under this corner of a mattress… and he gave it some food and water.”
The man called Stray Rescue of St. Louis, and Lochmann and his rescue partner responded to the scene. When Lochmann met the 4-month-old puppy, he was surprised at how trusting he was.
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“When we got out [of the car] he ran towards me,” Lochmann said. “He was just the friendliest little guy. He wasn’t afraid of us or anything like that. “I think he was really happy that someone was nice to him.”
Lochmann placed a leash around Chowder’s neck and the pup immediately became excited. He put his paws on her shoulders as she picked him up to help him into the car and handed him to her rescue partner.
“He climbed up and sat on her lap and just snuggled with her,” Lochmann said. “He had his head on her shoulder and buried her face in her arm. “He was so grateful to be warm and that people were kind to him.”
Chowder cuddled with his rescuers all the way to the shelter as if he knew he was finally safe.
At the shelter, Chowder began to relax and let his puppy personality shine. The energetic dog became even happier seeing people, getting attention and playing with toys.
Now in foster care, Chowder is adjusting to life inside and learning to live with people.
Once he is neutered and his eye infection is gone, he will be ready to find his forever family. And his rescuers know that whoever ends up adopting the grateful pup will receive plenty of cuddles and hugs for years to come.
If you are interested in adopting Chowder, you can fill out an adoption application here. To help other stray dogs like Chowder find their forever homes, you can make a donation to Stray Rescue of St. Louis.