ST. LOUIS — Stray Rescue of St. Louis has been in the community for more than two decades. Its sole purpose is to rescue animals and find them loving homes. Half the battle is getting the animals off the street.
Many of whom have been abused, neglected or abandoned. There is a woman, known best by just her first name at the shelter and on social media, who will go to any length to find a stray and change their life.
It's another busy day at Stray Rescue. The shelter is overflowing with animals. Surgeries are being performed.
And dogs like Prayer, who was left abandoned, starved and had given up on life, is now on the mend.
For Stray Rescue's Chief Life Saving Officer, Donna Lochmann, her office is outside the shelter, on the streets. 5 On Your Side joined Donna on her latest rescue with cameras fitted in her car and our news vehicle to capture everything.
"We're actually going to start over on the east side because a couple of the dogs I've been keeping an eye on have been hanging out over there," Donna says as she crosses the bridge into Illinois in her Jeep.
The shelter's Natalie Thomson joins us. She records Donna's rescues. It can take weeks to stake out a stray.
"How long are they in the house, when they leave, how often are they in the house versus not," are all factors, Donna explained.
On this mission, Donna hopes to rescue a dog that's eluded her for weeks. "Sometimes I say there are rescue gods I think that follow us around that kind of lead us to the ones that need help."
As we're rounding a corner, I look around, "I don't see a little white dog."
A concerned Donna, scanning the area, says, "I don't either, she must not be here. If I spook her, she's going to take off."
Donna's first try as she gets out of the car — "I'm going to shake a bag of food to see if that piques her interest at all. I've never tried that with her."
Still no sign. Next step, a trap set with Vienna sausages.
Donna started as a volunteer and foster in the early years of Stray Rescue.
As a photographer she started documenting life on the streets for strays. She's been in sewers, crawl spaces, abandoned homes...anywhere to save an animal.
"If you see the animal and you know they're in there, it's like, how can you walk away from that? You kind of put your own safety or fears aside," she explained.
On her next try, Donna sprays herself with bug spray and heads into the wooded area looking for the elusive pup.
Moments later, the dog emerges, making its way to the trap.
As we wait patiently in the car, Donna quietly says, "Sometimes I need that calming factor. Just give them time."
I say to her as we're looking out the window, "And you get so close."
The white dog with the black markings on its ears is circling around the trap.
Patience pays off. The dog is in the trap... finally safe.
"I'm just really glad to get one off the street and she's been here by herself I feel bad for her, ya know," said a relieved Donna.
Despite being bitten by bugs, ticks and nowhere to go, the beautiful dog is so sweet, calm -- ready to start her new life.
"When you see them sleeping peacefully on a couch or even on a dog bed in somebody's home, that's not a peaceful sleep that they get out here, they're sleeping with one eye open because any noise it terrifies them. To see them finally be able to sleep peacefully it gives us that much peace. It's such an amazing feeling."
That stray was named Kelly Michelle. She is in foster care and thriving. Her foster father says she has come out of her shell and been an incredibly sweet girl.
As for Prayer, another happy ending. She has been adopted by a Wisconsin couple and is living the lake life riding in their boat with her own life jacket. As for Donna, she is so humble and selfless and stresses that it takes the whole staff at Stray Rescue to save the thousands of animals they have placed in loving homes.