When Donna Lochmann, chief life-saving officer with Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL), and her team were driving through the city in search of animals that needed help, something unusual caught her eye.
From her Jeep window, Donna noticed a large, gray mass resting beneath a white van. At first, it looked like debris. But when the lump suddenly shifted, the rescuers realized it was alive.
They still had no idea what kind of animal it was, but they knew they had to stop. The team immediately pulled over to investigate.
A Mysterious Shape Beneath The Van
Even up close, it was difficult to tell what they were seeing.
“His hair was so long, you could barely tell which side was his face. You could kind of see his nose,” Donna told The Dodo.
After a closer look, they realized it was a dog completely covered in matted fur.
The tangles were so severe that the mats had fused into a solid mass, pulling painfully on his skin.
“After years of neglect, his long, matted hair was full of feces, urine, and ICE,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote on Facebook.
Donna crawled beneath the van, gently looped a leash around the dog’s neck, and spoke softly to him, trying to coax him out.
“He screamed… but with skill and patience, Donna got him safely into the warm Jeep,” the post continued.
Wrapped in a blanket, the team rushed him straight to the veterinary hospital in St. Louis.
Beginning The Road To Recovery
At the clinic, it was clear that before anything else could be done, the thick mats had to be removed.
“We had to get the hair off of him. It’s a real process when it’s that knotted up, trying to get it off,” Donna said.
The veterinary staff carefully worked for hours, clipping away at the massive tangles and making sure not to injure the frightened pup.
When they were finished, the transformation was astonishing.
“He had to feel so much better getting all that hair off of him. It might’ve been about six pounds of hair,” Donna added.
Once the fur was gone, the vets could finally give him a full exam. That’s when they discovered a painful injury.
An X-ray revealed a broken pelvis, likely the result of being hit or crushed.
Pilgrim, as rescuers named him, underwent surgery to repair the fractures. Within three weeks, he had made an incredible recovery.
A Second Chance At Happiness
When Pilgrim was ready to leave the hospital, a couple named Taylor and Joe offered to foster him.
From the moment he arrived, he connected instantly with them and their other pets.
It didn’t take long for Taylor and Joe to realize that fostering wasn’t enough. They wanted to make Pilgrim a permanent part of their family.
“Pilgrim fits in so perfectly with our family, so we decided to foster fail. He’s a very happy boy,” the couple shared in a letter to SRSL that was later posted online.
Now renamed Oscar, the once-forgotten dog spends his days surrounded by love, playtime, and plenty of cuddles.
“He’s living a good, comfortable life and brings joy to his family every single day. We love this!” SRSL wrote in an update.
Pilgrim’s story reminds us that sometimes, even the smallest act of compassion can uncover a miracle waiting to happen.