Now, all she wants is food and cuddles.
Last week, a dog in St. Louis, Missouri, found herself in a dire situation. Tied to a fence at an abandoned school, the pup was dangerously emaciated and incredibly weak.
There’s no telling how long the pup was stuck there. Thankfully, though, someone noticed her before it was too late and alerted animal control right away.
“It’s a miracle someone even saw her,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote on Facebook.
As soon as animal control saw the condition the dog was in, they knew she needed immediate medical care. They brought her to Stray Rescue of St. Louis’ onsite clinic and got her the lifesaving treatments she needed.
“Even though she was in horrible shape, she was so sweet,” Natalie Thomson, chief communications officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, told The Dodo. “She was weak and all bones, but she trusted us and wanted to cuddle with our vet techs.”
As much as the dog’s rescuers wanted to give her all the food she wanted right away, they had to feed her gradually so she didn’t go into shock. When a dog is that dangerously underweight, they can sometimes get a serious condition called refeeding syndrome if they eat too much too quickly.
As the rescuers gradually reintroduced her to food, she started gaining weight at a healthy rate. It’s now been over a week since the dog, whom her rescuers named Levey, was saved. She’s growing stronger and more confident every day.
“Levey’s personality is amazing,” Thomson said. “She is so grateful for love, affection, and loves other dogs. All she wants to do is play.”
Levey’s favorite dog to play with is her new friend, Alaric, who was also rescued from starvation by the shelter. They got along from the first moment they met and seem to have bonded over their shared experiences.
“They have similar play styles and just wanted to wrestle now that they both are feeling more energetic than they have in a long, long time,” Thomson said.
Even though Levey is doing much better than she was a week ago, she has a little ways to go before she’ll be ready for adoption. Right now, she’s looking for a foster family who can take care of her until she’s ready to be spayed.
As Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote on Facebook, “[She’s] ready for the fun part … to be fattened up!”
Now that Levey is finally safe and sound, all she wants is the chance to be loved.
If you’d like to support other dogs like Levey, you can make a donation to Stray Rescue of St. Louis here.
