No dog wants to live a lonely life on the streets, never knowing where they will sleep or whether they will eat.
Many strays feel scared as they try to stay out of danger that lurks in street corners. Their only hope is that someone kind will notice them and take them home. They would give anything to feel safe and warm in a home of their own.
Hoka, a young pit bull mix in St. Louis, had that same wish.
He had been wandering the streets on his own when he slipped through an open fence at a parking lot and found himself on a thin ledge. When he realized that there was nowhere for him to go, he was terrified.
The pup started crying for help, hoping someone would hear him.
A Stray In Trouble
Hoka feared that he might fall from the narrow ledge. He refused to move.
“When he realized how narrow it was, he was too fearful to move after that,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) wrote on Facebook. “He cried for help, and that’s when we were called to the scene!”
Passersby heard his desperate cries and immediately reached out to Stray Rescue of St. Louis.
Donna Lochmann, SRSL’s chief lifesaving officer, arrived at the location and found Hoka shivering. He held onto the fence tightly, afraid that he would lose his balance.
When the pup saw Lochmann and heard her kind voice, he felt much better. He sensed that he could trust her and that she would help him.
“He trusted us right away and let us carry him and lift him up and out,” SRSL shared. “[He’s] so happy to be free and safe!”
Lochmann secured him with a leash and brought him to her car.
She drove him to the clinic where he received a full exam.
Fortunately, he had no injuries, which felt like a small miracle considering how dangerous the ledge had been.
Hoka had a collar, but no one ever came forward for him. Since he had no identification, the team could not get answers about his previous family.
SRSL decided to keep him safe while they searched for a new home.
A Second Chance At Safety
Hoka’s shelter friends showered him with attention, and Hoka no longer felt afraid.
He loved spending time with them. He craved love and leaned into every kind touch. Whenever someone walked by his kennel, Hoka wagged his tail with excitement.
“He loves everyone at the shelter. He just doesn’t know a stranger,” SRSL wrote. “He’s a very sweet guy.”
The team could see that Hoka was ready to turn a page and start a new life with a family who loved him.
“He’d love to get out of here and go home!” they shared.
We hope that Hoka won’t wait long to find the home he truly deserves.