Donna Lochmann of Stray Rescue of St. Louis often checks abandoned buildings for homeless animals. One day, she and her partner Natalie Thomson spotted a gray pit bull barking at them from the yard of an abandoned house — a mother guarding her puppies inside.
As they approached, the dog slowly warmed up and allowed them onto the property. Navigating tornado debris and entering through a broken window, the rescuers found the house filled with trash and in severe disrepair. Upstairs, they discovered a group of curious puppies, who quickly scattered and hid in the mess.
Despite the challenging conditions, the team began searching through the debris — soon spotting eyes peeking out from behind a mattress.