Stray Dog Who Couldn’t Stand Up Gives Rescuer Biggest Hug When She Starts To Feel Better

People say that it takes a village to raise a dog, but it took a village to save Annie McHound.

Annie McHound was just under 3 years old when her family found her hidden in the corner of their backyard on a hot summer day. They didn’t know how long she had been out there, but by how skinny she was, they could tell that time was running out.

So, they put the dog in a big Tupperware container and called Stray Rescue of St. Louis right away to get help.

Stray Rescue of St. Louis’s chief life-saving officer, Donna Lochmann, told The Dodo, “She was in really bad shape when I got there.” “I don’t think she would have lived much longer anyway.”

The family called for help just in time, which was lucky. Lochmann said that Annie McHound was very thin and had more fleas on her than he had seen in a long time.

Lochmann carefully put the puppy in her car and then called the shelter’s vet team to let them know how Annie was doing. That’s when Annie’s village of caring people who helped save her life began to come together.

The first thing the team did was clean Annie well when she got there.

The team quickly realized that Annie couldn’t stand up on her own after her bath. So they gave her a soft blanket and made one of the kennels as comfortable as possible for her.

They tried giving her fluids, but she didn’t get better, so they took her to an emergency room so she could get a blood transfusion.

Within the first few hours of meeting Annie, everyone in her village fell in love with her and couldn’t wait for her to come back. They were eager to keep helping their new friend get better.

When Annie came back, the sick dog had to spend most of her time in an oxygen chamber because anemia had done a lot of damage to her lungs.

But the caring people who worked at her village of shelter were with her every step of the way. When she wasn’t in her oxygen chamber, the team would take her outside and sit in the sun with her.

Lochmann said, “We wanted her to get some fresh air.” “And she really liked being out there with us.”

Annie got stronger and stronger over time. When her lungs were finally healthy enough that she could breathe without an oxygen chamber, she was moved out of the clinic and into a part of the shelter where she could be with other animals.

“She finally started to act like a dog after that,” Lochmann said. “She started making friends with other dogs and loved playing with them.”

Here is where you can see Annie running around with her friends:

Annie went to live with a foster family soon after she left the clinic. Even though she hasn’t been taken home yet, Lochmann is glad to report that she’s doing well.

Annie’s rescue story isn’t over yet, but everyone at Stray Rescue of St. Louis is proud of how far she’s come against all odds.

Lochmann said, “We’re really glad that family saw her in their yard because she turned out to be a great dog.” “We just adore her!”