Rescuing stray animals is not always an easy task, and Donna Lochmann, from Stray Rescue of St. Louis, Missouri, surely knows that after more than 20 years of doing so.
She usually has to work a bit to gain the trust of animals who have been betrayed by their humans, but this terrified Pittie was something else.
She went from a terrified street dog to an absolute sweetheart in just a couple of minutes, winning the hearts of everyone on the internet.
From Scared To Sweetheart
It all happened on Valentine’s Day when Donna Lochmann received a call about a terrified street dog who had been spotted hanging around an industrial area.
When Donna arrived at the location, a distrustful and scared dog peeked around the corner of the building. As she slowly approached, the dog attempted to run away hastily, but found itself trapped between a building and a fence.
“She was definitely looking for a way to get away from me, but there was no way out. She barked a couple of times, like a super-scared warning,” Donna told The Dodo.
Donna has rescued a lot of street dogs, but no other dog reacted quite the way this one did.
With no means of escape, the poor dog cowered on the floor, tail tucked in out of fear.
Seeing how scared she was, Donna started throwing her some food and talking sweetly to her. “I knelt down so she didn’t feel so threatened and started talking to her. I tossed one sausage over to her, and she ate it,” Donna said.
Donna tossed some additional pieces of sausage, expecting her to eat it; however, something else happened.
The dog was suddenly no longer interested in the food but only in Donna.
“She passed right by the other sausages. When she got to me, she nuzzled her head right in my shirt, then she rolled over and looked up at me,” Donna recalled.
Even as a long-time rescuer, Donna was absolutely shocked, as she never saw a dog do this.
This beautiful dog – later named Cutie Pie – completely melted in Donna arms, realizing that she was finally safe.
“It was so sweet, the way she looked up at me as if she were saying, ‘Thank you!’” Donna said.
Love Can Change Lives
Donna, accompanied by Cutie Pie, drove to the Stray Rescue of St. Louis facility, where she received food, a refreshing bath, and a thorough vet checkup.
Everyone was in love with Cutie Pie and how sweet and loving she was. She came out of her shell almost instantly, and all it took was a little bit of love.
Now, she’s a completely different dog with life in her eyes that is absolutely precious.
Shortly after, Cutie Pie went to her foster home that she absolutely loved.
“She curls up in her bed as well as her little foster dog brother’s bed. She has the biggest, sweetest smile, she loves zooming around the yard… she is one special soul with infectious joy,” the rescue wrote in their Facebook post.
After everything she had been through, she is finally getting all the love she deserves.