When staff at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, Missouri, picked up the phone, they were bracing for another routine call. They quickly learned that a dog had been spotted wandering through a yard, after their rescuer had stumbled upon a trail of blood.
Now, after surviving a brutal case of canine parvovirus, the 1-year-old dog—named Ricky Darryl—is thriving in the care of the shelter, and he is looking for his forever home.
“Ricky Darryl is doing great now,” Natalie Thomson, chief communications officer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, told Newsweek. “He loves dogs, kids, all adults; he loves to play and to cuddle.
“He’s such a happy boy. We are so proud of him!” Thomson added.
A call came in that a dog was wandering around their yard…and they found a blood trail. We hopped in the car thinking it was probably a mama dog needing…
The rescue group, a nonprofit devoted to helping the “abandoned, beaten, bred, fought, injured, terrified, defeated and betrayed,” rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the concerning call.
In a short video later shared to the organization’s Facebook page, viewers were able to see the young dog shuffling slowly through the grass before being gently greeted by a rescuer.
“A call came in that a dog was wandering around their yard … And they found a blood trail,” a text accompanying the video read. “We hopped in the car thinking it was probably a mama dog needing help.
“But when we arrived and saw this adorable 1-year-old male puppy, we knew it was parvo,” the text added.
The post, shared on June 10, has since garnered almost 8,000 reactions and an outpouring of support. For many viewers, it was not just the sight of the emaciated dog but the grim evidence of his suffering that broke their hearts.
Parvovirus is highly contagious and can be dangerous without swift treatment. Ricky Darryl had all the telltale signs: a dangerously high fever of 107 degrees Fahrenheit, pale gums, extreme lethargy, and near-total exhaustion.
The dog’s condition was so severe that he was immediately admitted to an emergency veterinary clinic, where he remained for two days before being transferred to the shelter’s isolated parvo ward for several weeks. “This survivor fought for his life,” the post continued.
Over the following weeks, Ricky gradually regained strength. The same dog who once could barely walk now bounds across the shelter yard with joyful energy. His recovery has become a beacon of hope for the rescue’s community and a compelling plea for awareness about canine vaccination.
“Vaccinating your puppies—AND older dogs—is very, very important,” the organization added in its post.
Today, Ricky Darryl is not just healthy—he is thriving. Shelter staff describe him as affectionate, outgoing, and eager to play. He adores children, gets along well with other dogs, and soaks up every bit of human attention he can find.
As the post said: “He’s officially ready for his forever family.”
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