Employees of a cemetery in Missouri were not too scared when they saw a shadow moving in the darkness one night.
Four-legged visitors began to appear here and there, trotting across the grounds.
When the daylight broke, they saw that the figure turned out to be a small stray dog.
They noticed that the dog had almost no hair left and that his paws seemed too painful to walk comfortably, so they called the specialists at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL).
Donna Lochmann is the head of the SRSL rescue team. In a conversation with The Dodo, she explained:
“They just crawl under the gate and enjoy it because it’s quiet. It’s a huge cemetery, so they have plenty of space to get away from people.”
Lochmann and the cemetery workers came up with a plan to capture and treat the lost pup. They first searched the grounds to find the dog. Eventually, one worker found him resting under a bush, where he had heard noise.
Lochmann took the pup to a veterinarian to treat his skin and paws. The pup was named Kamper after the name on one of the gravestones where he was found.
The article continues below the photo.
When Kamper was finally on the road to recovery, Lochmann and the caregivers decided to bring him back to the cemetery to see his rescuers again.
“It was really emotional for everyone,” Lochmann said, “especially for Kamper and the volunteer who called us.”
Kamper immediately and excitedly ran towards his rescuers, licked their faces, and jumped from person to person.
And the cemetery staff were just as excited to see him.
“The woman who called was so happy that we caught him and that he was doing so well,” said Lochmann. “We definitely appreciated her reaching out to us so he could get help.”
After the reunion with his rescuers, Kamper returned to SRSL. Fortunately, he didn’t stay there for long.
The pup was placed with a foster family almost immediately. He receives medicinal baths and pajamas to further heal his skin. Additionally, he gets to play with many other dogs of different ages.
“It’s so nice to see him play and realize that he’s happy. Knowing that he’s no longer a scared, sick dog trying to survive on the streets,” said Lochmann. “Now he can just be a puppy.”
In September, Kamper went to a foster family, and we wish him all the best in the future!
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