Donna Lochmann, chief life-saving officer with Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL), is a determined animal lover who has hundreds of rescues under her belt.

She would often get in her car and drive around St. Louis, looking for abandoned or hurt animals who needed her help. She would also receive a ton of calls informing her about furry friends who were in a bit of a pickle.

So, as soon as a call came informing her about a dog hiding in the trash underneath a busy highway, she was immediately on her way.

The caller stated that they had taken that road many times over the last couple of days and every single time, without fail, they saw this pup.

However, when Lochmann arrived, she wasn’t able to spot the dog.

Luckily, she decided to stay for a bit and wait for him, and then, all of a sudden, she heard some strange noises coming from a pile of trash.

After approaching it, she noticed a little adorable face peeking out, curiously looking at her.

Lochmann noticed that the pup was a little unsure what to think of her – should he give in or should he run?

That is why the determined rescuer decided to slowly approach him while speaking to him in a calm voice and offering him some yummy food in order to gain his trust.

However, the pup, later named Gibson, was reluctant to take the food, but he did allow Lochmann to pet him, giving her the perfect opportunity to slide a leash around his head.

Even though it took him some time to gather the courage to get up and go with her into her car, Gibson did exactly that.

Their ride back to the St. Louis shelter was as smooth as butter and Gibson received a nice, warm bath as well as delicious food to fill up his tummy.

Luckily, since he was such an adorable and good boy, a dog lover noticed him and offered him a warm and caring foster home.

Gibson settled into his new home immediately and was more than ready to begin the new chapter of his life.

“Sadly, we have to go on another rescue freeze. We loved being on the streets this week, but more animals are coming in than are leaving. We don’t want to do this, we’ve been fighting it. But we have to say it because it’s the truth,” the shelter stated in a Facebook post.

That is why I would like to take this opportunity to urge people to head down to their local shelters and offer a helping hand – if not permanently adopting the pups, then at least fostering them.

This will help the shelter staff and the animals, and it will show them that they are indeed worthy of love!