Local rescue saves 4 dogs wounded by gunfire hours a part, life saving rescue caught on camera

By Melanie Johnson

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    ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — Dogs have become the latest victims of gun violence in the Metro.

According to Stray Rescue of St. Louis, the agency’s bottom cages are full of dogs recovering from gunshot wounds.

Since Monday, four dogs have been brought in after being hit by bullets.

“We had gotten a call where the person saw the dog get shot,” said Donna Lochmann of Stray Rescue STL. “The dog literally walked up to somebody, and the person shot the dog in the chest.”

The dog later died on a street corner nearby.

Another dog rescued this week suffered non-life-threatening injuries after getting shot in the ear and chest.

“It’s hard to understand why people would want to shoot an animal,” said Lochmann. “I think it’s definitely gotten worse.”

On Wednesday, Lochmann was captured on video saving a dog’s life who was shot in her legs and retreated to hiding in a field of leaves next to an abandoned North City home.

“It was like she virtually made herself invisible. She wasn’t moving, but when we started talking to her, she literally just rolled over like she instantly trusted us.”

The four-legged survivor has been given a new name, Judy Gemstone.

Still, her future remains uncertain. X-rays show her joints have been shattered in both legs, and as a result, she may need a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

“She was completely grateful from the beginning that she knew was getting help.”

Lochmann said it’s impossible to save every animal due to ongoing gun violence throughout the area. The rescue team has also been caught in the crossfire.

“Sitting at the light waiting to bring a dog back to the shelter and like two or three cars behind me, I hear, pow pow pow,” says Lochmann.

She said the work is worth the risk to give animal survivors a new start with a new reason to smile.

“There is no better feeling than to know that you’ve taken a dog from a terrible situation.”

Stray Rescue of St. Louis is always in need of medical supplies and monetary donations to assist with their life-saving rescue efforts. To help, visit strayrescue.org/donate.

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