An alert truck driver became an unexpected hero when he found a shivering puppy abandoned in a roadside ditch in St. Louis, Missouri.
The driver’s awareness of his surroundings and his unwavering desire to make a difference were crucial in saving his life. The truck driver could not stop but called St. Louis Stray Rescue and told them he was a puppy in desperate need of help.
Even in our everyday lives, we have the opportunity to reach out and have a very positive impact on those who cannot speak for themselves.
ask for help
small dog lying on the side of the road
A stray rescue unit from St. Louis acted quickly after a good Samaritan found a small brown and white puppy struggling in a ditch and called for help.
They immediately went to investigate and were surprised to find a puppy named Odella. (He was named after a truck driver named Odell who eventually saved his life). As soon as the puppy saw Donna Lohmann, chief rescue officer at Stray Rescue in St. Louis, started wagging his tail.
He was a little angel. Although he was scared and hungry, he was very friendly. What they didn’t know at the time was that Odella was in a lot of pain after being hit by a car and suffering serious injuries.
“We couldn’t tell at first, but sadly our clinic informed us that she has some significant injuries. X-rays indicate a dislocated hip and broken foot,” the rescue wrote on their blog post.
This little 6-month-old girl needed a lot of help, but thanks to Odell, she was finally getting the much-needed care.
“To picture her quivering in that ditch all by herself and hurting breaks our heart. We are so grateful to the truck driver who somehow spotted her and saved her life. Her healing journey begins today,” the rescue added.
Odella’s Healing Journey
In order to save Odella’s leg, doctors had to pop her dislocated hip back in place and bandage it up with a splint.
The doctors and the rescue were doing everything in their power, so the sweet little baby could keep her leg. Her healing journey took a little longer than expected due to another femur fracture, but thankfully, after a couple of months, she was perfectly healthy and able to get up and run again on all fours.Throughout all that process, Odella stayed with her foster mom, Donna. Donna, who already had adopted a couple of rescues, fell head over heels with sweet angel, Odella.
The moment Odella first arrived at Lochmann’s house, it was pretty obvious that she was never leaving.
Donna said in one of the comments on Facebook: “She just never left. She came in, unpacked her bags, and that was pretty much it!”
Odella is now enjoying her life with her mom and all her furry siblings.
“She has the happiest personality and bounces from one dog to another to find one that will keep playing! She loves her toys and peanut butter kongs,” Donna wrote.
And, all of that would never have been possible if it had not been for Odell and his kindness.
One call was enough for this sweet pup to go from laying in a ditch with broken bones and no one to love her to living her best life with a loving family.
