Title: That's A Winner

Artist: Donna Lochmann

Medium: Digital Photograph with Repurposed Wooden Window Frame

Dimensions: 40" x 21"

After the tornado struck North City St. Louis, Stray Rescue received numerous calls about dogs needing help. While responding to one of these calls, we heard a dog barking inside one of the houses. I tried to get a look through a broken window, but a large cabinet was blocking the window. As I went around to the side, I caught a glimpse of a dog bolting through the weeds.

We made our way around the front and were stopped by a couple saying they had seen that dog coming from the house and she looked to be nursing puppies. We certainly were not leaving without checking for puppies!

The first floor was covered in filthy, discarded items that had belonged to the previous owner. There was no sign of puppies on the first floor, so I headed up the steps. As I went up, I noticed the steps were covered with old lottery tickets. There were hundreds of them! But the real "winners" were the puppies standing at the top of the steps. Of course they scattered, but over the next hour we searched and grabbed puppies as we found them. The puppy in the photo was the last of seven puppies rescued that day. I thought we had them all but did one last look around and this little one was under a mattress.

We left a camera set up in the house. We knew if there happened to be another puppy hiding that mom would be back, and the puppy would come out with her. When we were absolutely certain the pups had all been rescued, we picked up mom.

In the end, this family was definitely a winner!

Local Pick Up Only