If there’s one thing we know about dogs, it’s the fact that they have the ability to touch our hearts. They can do so on many different levels, and at times, they may even touch hearts around the world.
That was the case in St. Louis when a stray dog was struck by a passing car. It just so happened that Donna with Stray Rescue of St. Louis was driving by when she came upon the scene.
As the rescue shared on YouTube, people had already gathered around the dog that was struck by a car. There was another stray that was guarding him and barking at those who were nearby.
Donna was able to get the two dogs back to the shelter. She named them Heart and Soul, and it really fit them well. Soul was very injured as a result of the accident and had to be sedated.
While Soul was sedated and waiting for what would come next, Heart was not very far away. She was concerned about her friend and she pushed in gently so she could be by his side.
Unfortunately, Soul was injured beyond what could be fixed. The rescue said: “We’re so sad to tell you his [Soul’s] back is broken and it cannot be fixed.”
Unfortunately, her back was severed and there was nothing they could do to take care of the situation.
In an interview with Newsweek, Natalie Thomson, who also works at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, said that the rescue always does what it can to save a life but sometimes, the only thing they can do is to say goodbye.
In order to give Soul the best sendoff possible, they brought Heart near to him. They gave her all the time she needed to say goodbye to her friend and couldn’t help but note how much love was between them.
Thompson said: “She wanted to be with him, so we gave her time to say goodbye. We kept her with us the entire time, hoping she would understand what was happening.”
They were also able to get Heart into an apartment with plenty of comfortable blankets. At first, Heart was frightened but it wasn’t long before she wanted them to stick by her side.
Heart was able to get a bath and next day, and she truly needed it.
The shelter wrote on Facebook: “Who knows how long Heart and Soul were surviving the streets together. Today, she got a much-needed, sudsy bath.”
Heart is a timid girl but they hope that after she is introduced to other dogs that she’ll be more ready for adoption. Soul is also going to be remembered, as the rescue plans on getting a pendant with the dog’s ashes in it so Heart can wear it on her collar.