A young canine trying to outsmart a City Hall security guard yesterday ended up bringing together more than a dozen downtown residents, workers and tourists, who got the overheated dog to shelter.
I first encountered the lost dog as I left City Hall. There was a minor commotion at the doors as a security guard, as kindly as he could, put his foot out trying to keep the dog from coming in. A woman who works in City Hall tugged at the pup’s harness, remarking that he must belong to someone as his fur was neat and the harness in good condition.
The dog immediately tried to get back inside when the door opened again, and the process with the security guard repeated itself several times
The dog was hot and wanted City Hall for its air conditioning. Everyone seemed to realize this at once and sprang into action. A man who looked to have all his belongings in a couple bags with him began pouring water out of a bottle into a stranger’s cupped hands so the dog could have a drink. The City Hall worker went inside and returned with a Tupperware filled with water. The dog lapped it all up and tried for the umpteenth time to dart inside.
After resting for a while on the City Hall steps, the dog meandered south onto Tucker Boulevard before hanging a right on Clark Avenue. By this time, the animal was ensconced in a countrified sea of cowboy boots and hats as concertgoers headed to Busch Stadium to see Morgan Wallen. The dog was indifferent to the crowd and the crowd, believing I was the unleashed pup’s irresponsible owner, were indifferent to it. By this time, I’d called Stray Rescue and after a few minutes on hold found out that I wasn't the first person to call about the dog and, regretfully, their shelter was absolutely at capacity.
The dog doubled back and soon found itself behind City Hall, where a couple of guys camping there gave the dog some more water and walked it around a bit, showing it to others to see if anybody recognized it. People said the pup looked familiar and maybe belonged to someone in the area who lived at or around an apartment building on Olive or maybe Pine. The intel was well intentioned but sketchy.
Naturally the dog headed in the opposite direction everyone seemed to think it lived, making a perilous crossing on North 14th Street, where no fewer than five motorists and one city bus stopped to let the animal cross. Uninterested in the Enterprise Center, the dog made another crossing at Clark and got on a city bus.
One rider freaked out, but everyone else was chill, including the Metro staff.
At this point a family materialized as if out of nowhere with a seemingly bottomless reserve of energy to get this dog to safety. They were visiting from San Francisco, as part of a trip to see Taylor Swift the following night in Kansas City.
There was more water, a damp towel to protect the dog's paws against the hot concrete. There was a confused back and forth between the dad and various rescue organizations, between the dad and me, and between other rescue orgs and myself. The family put the dog in the open hatchback of their Jeep to give it some air conditioning. A security guard then told them that they had to move the car because it was parked in a bus stop. So they took off, the dog they'd just met in tow.
At least a dozen people went out of their way to help the animal. I didn’t even mention the random guy in the Mehlville School District polo shirt, the attorney for the City Counselor’s Office or the attendant at the parking lot adjacent to City Hall — all of whom helped care for the lost animal.
This isn’t an important story. It’s just a dog. There are a lot of dogs in this city, many with lots even worse than this lost one. But the fact that it wasn’t a big deal just goes to show: It doesn’t take much to get people working together.
Later that night, Ryan from San Francisco messaged me on Twitter. The dog was chipped and, like the family that rescued him, he is a Californian. They'd found a spot for him at the CARE STL Adoption Center in Midtown.
"The manager there is Scott and was awesome," Ryan said.
Of course, if this is your dog, please get in touch with Scott and pick him up.Or if you're looking to adopt a canine of any sort, reach out to CARE STL. Their CEO Weng Horak says that right now they have more than 480 dogs in shelter and foster homes. A donor has agreed to cover all adoption fees for this month.
This story has been updated.
We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at ryan.krull@riverfronttimes.com
or follow on Twitter at @RyanWKrull.
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