Stray Rescue of St. Louis politely requested images of a dog sleeping on a street during a heat wave so they could determine the best way to assist the pup.

According to Donna Lochmann, the chief lifesaving officer of Stray Rescue of St. Louis, “The picture this person sent us showed the dog lying down. It was hard to tell, but it kind of looked like you could see his hip bones. So I knew it was definitely worth checking out.”

Despite arriving swiftly, Lochmann was unable to locate the puppy. At the last second, she decided to turn into an alley, and that is when she saw him.

Lochmann reported, “I saw him there, laying in the street. He was laying in the water coming up from a gutter, probably to keep cool because it was so hot.”

Lochmann approached and saw how severely the dog needed assistance.

“When I pulled up to the end of the alley, he must’ve heard me,” Lochmann remarked. “I watched him pick his head up, kind of look around, and then flop his head back down on the curb as if he’d completely given up.”

Lochmann’s heart ached at the thought of the dog lying on the street, lifeless and without hope.

“It just killed me,” Lochmann said. “I said to myself, ‘There’s no way I’m leaving this dog here.’”

Fortunately for Lochmann, the mistreated dog had no reservations about being saved. Even without a leash, he walked himself to her jeep.

“I started talking to him and said, ‘Come on, buddy … we’re gonna help you.”

The dog walked over to the car and settled in right away.

“I keep blankets in the back of the jeep, so he laid down right away,” according to Lochmann.

The adorable puppy, subsequently given the name Curby, relished his “freedom ride” to safety, as described by the shelter.

“He went to a foster home pretty quickly,” Lochmann said. “A couple saw his video and the wife said to the husband, ‘That dog should not stay in a shelter.’ So they came and picked him up.”

In addition to two incredibly loving parents and a canine sibling he adores cuddling with, Curby is thriving in his new foster home. His personality has begun to develop in his new home, and he has finally started to put on some weight.

“His foster parents are absolutely in love with him,” Lochmann said. “He turned out to be the sweetest boy ever.”