Freon, a 2-year-old boxer mix, didn’t know what to do when he spotted rescuer Donna Lochmann waiting at the top of the stairway. It was his first time seeing someone in almost two weeks.
Lochmann initially learnt about Freon after receiving a phone call from a local landlord reporting an abandoned puppy in one of his homes.
The landlord informed shelter employees that Freon’s family had relocated to a residence that did not allow pets and that they had left Freon confined in a stairway for more than a week before notifying anybody. Lochmann rushed in her car and headed directly to the residence after hearing this.
When Lochmann arrived on the scene, she came to a halt in the foyer, where Freon was said to be residing.
“When I pried the door [open], I noticed him huddling on one of the landings,” Lochmann, the shelter’s top life saving officer, told The Dodo.
Despite being alone, Freon was able to live in the stairs for about two weeks because to the bowls of food left there. He also had a water supply to keep him cool throughout the hot summer days.
Lochmann down the stairs to Freon’s landing, and to her amazement, the shy dog allowed her place a leash on him with no resistance.
“He was hesitant to accompany me,” Lochmann stated. “However, after a little persuasion with Vienna sausages, he went up the steps and out the front door.”
And they were off. As soon as they got in the car, Freon — who had yet to be named — did something that piqued Lochmann’s interest.
“He stood up front with us and pressed his face on the air conditioner vents,” Lochmann explained. “That’s why he was given the name Freon: he appreciated the cool air on his face.”
Freon quickly captivated everyone’s hearts when he arrived at the shelter.
The dog “loved everyone in [the] clinic, even after he had his injections!” according to a Facebook post. According to the post, no other dog has ever acted like that before.
Freon visited the shelter’s clinic for a brief time, where he received the medical treatment he need after being alone for so long.
Freon became adoptable as soon as he regained full health, and his adoption listing didn’t last long.
“He now has his forever family,” Lochmann added. “He also has a dog sibling!”
Stray Rescue of St. Louis is overjoyed that Freon is prospering in his new home and can finally put his traumatic history behind him.
“We adore you, buddy,” the shelter said in an announcement of Freon’s adoption. “There is no turning back.”
