While driving through the bustling streets of St. Louis recently, rescuers from Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) made a heartbreaking discovery that stopped them in their tracks.
Curled up beside a dumpster overflowing with trash, partially buried under fallen leaves, was a dog. She wasn’t just abandoned — she was trapped.
“We pulled up to find a dog lying in a pile of garbage, looking up at us,” SRSL shared on Facebook. “She was tied to the dumpster with a cable that had become tangled tightly around a nearby fence.”
With no way to escape or even move freely, the dog had been forced to huddle in the filth and wait — hoping someone might come to help her.
That help finally arrived.
Lead rescuer Donna Lochmann and her team approached gently, but the frightened pup bristled in fear. Defensive and unsure, she made it clear that she wasn’t ready to trust just yet.
But Lochmann was patient. She cracked open a can of Vienna sausages and offered the treats slowly, using kindness and calm to earn the dog’s trust — one bite at a time.
Eventually, the pup allowed them to place a leash around her neck. With great care, they cut her free.
They named her Snapple.
Though still wary, Snapple seemed to sense something had changed. She was finally free.
The team whisked her away to the shelter, where she was given a warm bath and a full medical check-up.
Physically, she was in good shape. Emotionally, she was still guarded — but safe.
“She’s been through a lot and doesn’t trust us yet,” SRSL wrote. “But our amazing team is showing her, day by day, that she’ll never be abandoned or hurt again.”
Since arriving at the shelter, Snapple has slowly begun to open up. Her true personality is beginning to shine through, even as she continues to heal from the trauma of her past.
She’s now available for adoption — but there’s no rush. SRSL is committed to giving Snapple all the time she needs.
“She’ll let her guard down when she’s ready,” the rescue team wrote. “We work with every dog on their own unique timeline.”
To learn more about adopting Snapple, click here.
To support rescues like hers, you can donate to Stray Rescue of St. Louis here.
