“She truly looked so confused, but we told her, ‘Yes! We’re here for you!’”
In St. Louis, the start of December brought a bitter cold front with temperatures well below freezing. While most residents stayed warm inside, a skinny white pittie looked for a safe place to escape the wind. She wandered onto the front porch of a stranger’s house and curled up on the doormat.
The homeowner saw the shivering pup out the window and called Stray Rescue of St. Louis for help. Rescuers arrived, and the dog, who was so used to being tired, hungry and ignored, assumed she’d be passed over again.
But when she realized they were actually there for her, her tail said it all.
“When we approached, we were glad to see that she was still huddled on the porch,” Natalie Thomson, chief communications officer for Stray Rescue of St. Louis, told The Dodo. “It would be a lot easier to rescue her if we could block the stairs. She saw us but didn’t believe we were there to help her. She ignored us, expecting us to walk by like so many others have.”
“Donna Lochmann, [chief life saving officer], started giving her a little baby talk, and we saw that tail go ‘Thump!’” she added. “She truly looked so confused, but we told her, ‘Yes! We’re here for you!’”
It only took a few minutes for rescuers to get a leash over the pup’s head and escort her into a warm Jeep. Immediately, the dog relaxed.
“That’s when she really transformed,” Thomson said. “She leaned in for some cuddles and pressed her head as hard as she could against Donna. It was the sweetest moment but also brought tears to our eyes.”
At the rescue, the dog, who’s about 2 years old, immediately took advantage of her new digs, cuddling up in blankets and on soft beds. Going from a cold floor to a warm blanket gave her rescuers the perfect idea for a name: Comfy Cozy.
Comfy Cozy still has a ways to go until she’s healed from her time on the streets, but her caretakers are beginning to see her sweet personality blossom. “She is underweight and needs some fattening up,” Thomson said. “We can also tell she’s had lots of puppies, but she’ll never have to have puppies again.”
“She’s a real sweetheart,” Thomson added. “We think she’ll be a lazy friend. She desperately needs a couch, she’ll be the best couch buddy!”
Comfy Cozy is still looking for a foster family to spend the holidays with. Her first foster returned her in less than 24 hours after she had an accident in the house. “She is potty trained at the shelter, so just needs to be given a chance to learn the routine,” Thomson said. “Once given a few days to settle in and get comfortable, she’s going to be the best, [most] easygoing friend.”
The overfull shelter hopes someone kind will step forward to match with Comfy Cozy or one of their other recent rescues.
As Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote in a Facebook post about Comfy Cozy: “You matter, you are beautiful, you deserve a family and a couch and toys and treats and a Christmas sweater.”
To make a donation to Stray Rescue of St. Louis or get involved with fostering or volunteering, you can find more information on their website.
