Losing an owner is a great tragedy for any dog. This anxiety and being left to fend for themselves while they have to learn how to protect themselves is a trauma that very few dogs recover from. Donna Lochman, lead rescuer at Stray Rescue in St. Louis, had the opportunity to meet one of these dogs a few months ago.

A female dog was abandoned in a house abandoned by her previous family and that was no surprise! When Donna entered the garden of the house, she was surprised to see two sets of fluffy surprise gifts!

Donna sees two baby eyes looking at her.


dog standing in front of parked car

A few feet away from the mothers, two pairs of eyes watched Donna and her rescue team. It turns out that the lost woman they came to rescue recently gave birth to a baby, and now the family of three is left to fend for themselves.

two dogs left behind a fence

The mother dog was already hungry and thin, so it was easy to get her into the car and she quickly accepted the hand of friendship. But carrying a newborn (about 6-8 weeks old) was the hardest part of the mission!

The rescue mission was no picnic


sad dog hiding behind a bucket

Two were hidden under a terrace behind a fence and were very difficult to obtain. The scared and nervous puppies refused to get in the car with their mother, but Donna didn’t give in. He reached underneath and caught the little puppy after a few tries. Despite this, the elderly man did not budge and even bit him several times when he tried to help him. A man rescues an abandoned puppy

This time Donna tried to save again, using thick gloves to protect her hands. Luckily, it worked this time, and the whole family is now safe!

“This is one of the sweetest mamas we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. However, one of the grumpiest little puppies we’ve ever met (poor baby was just scared). All are safe now,” the SRSL team wrote on their Facebook.

Pumpkin Patch And Her Babies In A Foster Home

The mom was named Pumpkin Patch, and her other two puppies, Eckert and Stuckmeyer.

After the initial vet checkup, all three were declared healthy and ready for a foster home! 

Waiting For The Pawfect Home

The babies, Eckert and Stuckmeyer, went to a wonderful foster home where they were properly cared for and socialized with several adult dogs. Even though they were initially scared, they soon adapted and started learning how to “dog.”

Not too long after, both puppies were successfully adopted into loving homes.

On the other hand, Pumpkin Patch was transferred to a separate foster home, where she is now. Recently, Marianne, one of the volunteers in St. Louis, Missouri, posted about this sweet mama, informing the public about her current situation.

“She took great care of her babies. They’re all adopted and now it’s Pumpkin Patch’s turn. She is currently in a foster home and doing great. 

She is 100% house trained and does well in her crate. She also does well with children, cats and chill dogs. She’s not too keen on playful dogs that are too rough,” wrote Marianne.

After all the hardship she has been through, we really hope that Pumpkin Patch won’t need to wait long until she goes to a home she surely deserves.