1 of 7
2 of 7
3 of 7
4 of 7
5 of 7
6 of 7
7 of 7
Milagro
The smell hit them first. Then they saw the dead dog, her throat slit, lying in the front room of an abandoned house. Randy Grim, founder of downtown-based Stray Rescue, had invited new board member Mark Scott along for a routine early-morning pass through East St. Louis. Now Scott was standing outside, fighting nausea, while Grim explored further and found two dead puppies in the closet, throats also slit. Grim let out a yell and came running, and Scott suddenly found himself holding a third, trembling, very much alive puppy. They raced her to Chippewa Animal Hospital, where a nurse named her Milagro, Spanish for “miracle.” Two days later, Scott adopted her.
Milagro just had her first birthday party: Frosty Paws frozen treats with her closest furry friends. She no longer hides under the bed; instead, she wakes Scott every morning by jumping on the bed and licking his face. He calls her Millie for short, Mildred when she’s bad. She’s been through three soccer balls. (Check out “Milagro Update May 15” on YouTube.)
Honey Pie
Michael Miles was sailing down Highway 40 near Turtle Park, late for a meeting, when the truck driver to his left slammed on his brakes. A terrified dog was between the lanes, trying to get off the highway. Instinctively, Miles threw open his passenger door and called to her. She jumped in and licked him on the cheek before diving into the back seat. Now he had a gregarious pit bull in his car—and nowhere to take her. (At the time, he says, the Humane Society had a kill rule for pit bulls.)
He kept the dog, named her Honey Pie, cured her of heartworm, and started bringing her to Kaldi’s every morning, on one of her three daily walks. She became the toast of Clayton, and then they moved to the Central West End, where she soon realized Tony the newspaper guy’s always good for a bone, and the Silver Lady gives out treats.
Alice & Isabelle
Alice and Isabelle were like two girls lost on a boarding-school field trip; well-mannered, they found themselves wandering East St. Louis and clung to each other for dear life. They were a day away from being euthanized when Animal Control contacted Dirk’s Fund, a rescue group for golden retrievers.
Six months later, they were still there—no way was Dirk’s Fund going to let them be split up. So when Pete and Cindy Geer showed up looking to adopt, Alice and Isabelle came trotting out, side by side. The Geers hesitated, not sure how their 18-pound Coton de Tulear, Jack, would manage 200 pounds of new dog.
Jack rules the pack. They have their own dishes, but they usually eat from a single bowl. They run on 3 acres, tear up tennis balls, and crave constant love. But not because it’s scarce.
More Fave Strays
Oscar the Tri-Pawd
A 9-year-old Rottweiler adopted by law student Ilana Barash seven years ago.
Recent miracle: He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, and his front leg had to be amputated. The next day, he was walking; within a week, he was going up and down stairs on his own, cheerful as ever.
Chewie
A 4-year-old pit bull, rescued from a dog-fighting ring with seven other dogs. The eight dogs spent 14 months at the Spokane, Wash., APA waiting for Washington state’s first felony dog fighting conviction. After prosecution and conviction, efforts faltered to find the “Great Eight” homes, and the deadline to euthanize the dogs drew closer. Fortunately, animal welfare activists raised $6,600 to bring the Great Eight to Stray Rescue in St. Louis. Chewie was adopted by homebuilder Tom Revie.
Daily ritual: “Chewie travels with me to job sites and spends evenings sitting on the sofa watching movies with me,” says Revie.
Favorite pastime: Walking through Benton Park while Revie studies the architecture.
Scarlett Martini
A pup of indeterminate heritage who was rescued from the streets of East St. Louis. She’d been eating trash; her tummy was filled with worms, her growth stunted by malnutrition, her fur patchy from mange. She was fostered by Melissa Weingart of Gateway Pet Guardians and adopted by Sarah Torretta.
Favorite pastimes: Rolling around in wet grass. Snuggling on Sarah’s lap. Swimming.
Zoey
A shih-tzu rescued from a puppy mill in Chester, Ill. She was turned into the Randolph County Humane Society after delivering two litters (before the age of 2). Adopted by the Liefer family within 24 hours of arriving at the humane society.
Siblings: Another shih-tzu as a little brother and three big-dog brothers, all rescues.
By Jeannette Cooperman and Jarrett Medlin
