The Heartwarming Rescue of “Mama Dog” Miz Lotto and Her Seven Puppies from a Collapsing Abandoned House
In St. Louis, Missouri, every time Donna Lochmann — Chief Life Saving Officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) — passes by abandoned buildings, she can’t help but wonder if there might be helpless souls trapped inside, waiting for help. Years of experience have led her to rescue countless abandoned dogs this way.
But this time, Donna didn’t have to guess. As she approached one particular abandoned house, she received an unmistakable “alert” from a very special mother.
A gray pit bull stood defiantly in the yard, her watchful eyes locked on Donna and her colleague Natalie Thomson, barking sharply as they drew closer. According to SRSL’s Facebook post, this “mama dog” was fiercely guarding her puppies hidden inside the crumbling home.
At first, the dog’s guarded stance made Donna and Natalie hesitate. For weeks, she had been the only shield between her litter and the dangers lurking outside. But as she sensed kindness from the strangers, the tension in her eyes softened. Finally, she allowed them to enter.
Crossing a yard strewn with fallen branches from a recent tornado, Donna and Natalie climbed through a shattered window. Inside was worse than they imagined — heaps of trash, rotting walls, and gaping holes in the floor made it dangerous for both humans and animals.
They carefully stepped through the ground floor and up a staircase littered with discarded lottery tickets. At the top, a cluster of curious puppies peeked at them, tilting their little heads. But as soon as the rescuers stepped forward, the pups scattered into a dilapidated room, hiding in the tightest spaces they could find.
Following the sounds of movement, Donna spotted round eyes peeking out from behind a torn mattress. One by one, she gently pulled each pup from its hiding place, cradling them in safety. Then, a tiny head popped out from a gap in a broken wall — in an area where the weak flooring made it unsafe to approach.
They set out a trap with irresistible food and waited patiently. Eventually, hunger overcame fear, and the remaining puppies emerged. A final sweep of the house revealed one more little one hiding under a bed. In total, all seven puppies were safe.
Still, the house was full of potential hiding spots, and the team feared they might miss one. They made a difficult decision: leave the mama dog there for one more night while installing cameras to ensure no puppies were left behind.
The seven pups were taken to SRSL headquarters, bathed, and given health checks. Since they were already weaned and the shelter was crowded, they were quickly placed into loving foster homes.
The next morning, after confirming the house was empty, Donna returned for the mama dog — now named Miz Lotto. With a little tasty bait, they safely trapped her and brought her to the shelter.
Though she couldn’t be reunited with her puppies — who had all found foster homes that same day — Miz Lotto wasn’t sad. As soon as she arrived in foster care, she began soaking up cuddles and basking in human affection.
“Miz Lotto absolutely loves being held,” SRSL shared. For them, the most important thing was that this special family was now safe, healthy, and free from the endless cycle of abandonment, breeding, and abandonment again.