On a bitterly cold January day in St. Louis, Missouri, rescuers with Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) spotted a heartbreaking sight: a white dog sprinting along active train tracks with nowhere safe to go.
The danger was immediate. Temperatures were dropping into the single digits, the wind was brutal, and a train was due to pass through at any moment. Worse still, the stretch of track where the dog was running sat high above the river.
“The area where we first saw him was open and right above the water,” SRSL’s chief lifesaving officer, Donna Lochmann, told The Dodo. “One wrong step, and he could have fallen straight in.”
Lochmann’s instinct was to run toward the dog and pull him off the tracks. But metro employees nearby stopped her — stepping onto the railroad would’ve been just as dangerous for her.
Instead, Lochmann grabbed a treat and began coaxing the terrified dog, later named Laclede, to move toward safety. At the same time, metro workers radioed the incoming train, asking the conductor to slow down immediately.
“They had the train crawl forward and gently try to guide him toward us,” Lochmann said.
For several tense minutes, everyone worked together — rescuers, metro employees, and the train crew — until Lochmann was finally able to slip a leash over Laclede’s neck.
“He was terrified, filthy, painfully thin and freezing,” Lochmann said. “That day was brutal. Getting him off those tracks felt like a miracle.”
Lochmann carried Laclede straight to her Jeep, where she made a cozy bed on the passenger seat. The exhausted dog didn’t hesitate.
“As soon as he felt the heated seats, he curled into a tight little ball and soaked up the warmth,” SRSL wrote on Facebook.
From there, Laclede was rushed to SRSL’s headquarters for a full evaluation. Aside from being underweight and dirty, he was remarkably healthy. A warm bath, full meals and gentle care quickly brought him back to life.
“Now he’s clean, happy, and his tail just doesn’t stop wagging,” SRSL shared.
Over the following weeks, Laclede’s personality bloomed. Volunteers quickly fell for the joyful, affectionate dog who had survived such a terrifying ordeal.
“Everyone who meets Laclede falls in love,” SRSL wrote. “He’s big, playful and full of life — but also incredibly gentle and kind.”
While Laclede has made plenty of friends at the rescue, he’s still waiting for the family who will give him the safety and love he’s been searching for all along.
“We absolutely adore this dog,” SRSL wrote. “Give him a safe place to relax and be himself, and you’ll have a loyal, fun companion for life.”
To inquire about adopting Laclede, visit Stray Rescue of St. Louis. And to help dogs like him get the care they deserve, donations to SRSL are always appreciated.
