The team at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) is used to responding to urgent calls — but one call they got earlier this year hit especially hard.
Police officers reached out after discovering a heartbreaking situation.
“A family had moved out … and left everything behind,” SRSL shared. “That included their pets.”
When officers entered the home, they found rooms full of belongings — signs that the pets had once been cared for — but no people anywhere. Sadly, a dog and a bird inside the house had already passed away, and the scene made it clear they had been alone for too long.
Then officers noticed movement on top of a pile of clutter — a tiny brown pup staring back at them with wide, frightened eyes.
SRSL’s rescuer, Donna Lochmann, rushed to the address right away. Seeing the condition of the home and the loss of the other animals was devastating, but she gently focused on the little survivor.
They named him Gilligan — and he was finally safe.
He was thin, nervous, and unsure of what was happening, but he was still strong enough to begin a new life. Soon after arriving at the shelter, Gilligan went into foster care with a loving couple named Angela and Charlie David.
And almost immediately, his personality began peeking through.
“He’s already making himself comfortable,” his foster family wrote to SRSL with a laugh. “If he’s not in our laps, he’s exploring every corner of the house.”
With food, warmth, and affection, Gilligan blossomed. He started going on walks, playing, and trusting again. His weight nearly doubled in just 10 days — from under 5 pounds to around 9. He even became the proud owner of a whole new wardrobe!
Before long, it was clear he didn’t just fit into his foster home — he belonged there.
Angela and Charlie were officially what rescuers call a “foster fail” — they couldn’t imagine letting him go.
Gilligan, now renamed Paco, celebrated his adoption day on March 14 with a tiny bite of pizza and toasted ravioli — a true St. Louis treat.
That night, Paco curled up with his forever family, full and happy at last.
“He’s already such a wonderful companion,” Charlie wrote. And Paco seems to agree — his new life is everything he deserves.