“[H]e wanted to be held and told everything would be OK” 🥺

On a cold January day earlier this year, police officers in St. Louis, Missouri, discovered a black-and-white dog wandering through a neighborhood alone. They stopped to help the pup, swiftly securing him before calling Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) for support.

SRSL’s rescue team, led by Donna Lochmann, rushed to the scene and soon took over for the police officers. Once the dog, later named Bowie, was safely in her care, Lochmann loaded him into the car, where the sweet boy nestled into her shoulder and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“This sweet baby boy was beside himself, running the streets all alone,” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “[H]e wanted to be held and told everything would be OK.”

Lochmann snuggled Bowie for the duration of the car ride, reminding him just how special he was. Even though they’d just met, the two had an instant connection, and the once-scared boy felt safe in her arms.

“[W]e love him already,” SRSL wrote.

Within a few days, Bowie found an amazing foster family to help prepare him for adoption, and he soon went off to his very first home. Bowie couldn’t contain his excitement on the car ride home, smiling the whole time alongside his two new best friends.

“See how happy Bowie is to go to foster?” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “That’s how we feel!”

Bowie’s foster parents loved him right away, but it was his new furry foster brother, Ramone, who connected with him most.

“Ramone is absolutely smitten with him,” Anne-Marie Theresa, Bowie’s foster, wrote in a Facebook comment. “He loves to play with other dogs, and he is a professional snuggle bug!”

In the months since his rescue, Bowie has thrived alongside his devoted foster family. While he’s still searching for the perfect adoptive home, his caregivers are confident that someone will come along soon and realize just how special he is.

“[H]e loves cuddling with people, and he loves learning new things!” SRSL wrote on Facebook.

Everyone in the community has fallen for Bowie, including local pizzeria Imo’s Pizza, who’ve offered to cover his adoption fee. The only thing left to do is find a family who will love him forever.

“This is one great pup, and he’s ready for you!” SRSL wrote.

To inquire about adopting Bowie, you can fill out an application here.

To help pups like Bowie get the care they need, you can donate to Stray Rescue of St. Louis here.