Wallace, a stray dog found in St. Louis on Dec. 31 after being shot four times, is recovering at Stray Rescue of Saint Louis. Veterinarians sedated and treated him; miraculously, none of the bullets broke his bones, though he has a broken tooth that will be removed once he stabilizes. Staff say the roughly 3-year-old, 48-pound dog is showing a sweet, lap-dog personality as he heals. A donation page has been opened to help cover his care, and the rescue will provide updates on his progress.
St. Louis Rescue Cares For Wallace — Stray Dog Shot Four Times Now Recovering
Stray Rescue of St. LouisWallace the dog, following his rescue.
A stray dog discovered in St. Louis after being shot multiple times is now recovering under the care of Stray Rescue of Saint Louis. The dog, later named Wallace, was found by St. Louis police officers on Dec. 31 and rushed to the rescue clinic for emergency care.
Stray Rescue of St. LouisWallace after his rescue.
Rescue and Treatment
Officers Ottengheime and Stevens located Wallace at the scene, gently comforted him and carried him to their patrol car so a veterinarian could examine him. Video shared by the shelter shows the officers approaching Wallace calmly and carefully placing him in the vehicle.
Stray RescueWallace with Dr. Oliver.
At Stray Rescue, the shelter's veterinarian, Dr. Oliver, sedated Wallace to clean wounds, remove debris and stabilize him for further treatment. Remarkably, the shelter reports that although Wallace was shot four times, none of the bullets fractured his bones. He does have a broken tooth that will be extracted once he is stronger.
Stray Rescue of St. LouisWallace at Stray Rescue
“We know Wallace has a guardian angel because not one of those bullets broke any bones,” the rescue wrote. “For now, we will show him the Stray Rescue way. Nothing but respect, safety, and love from this moment on.”
Personality and Progress
Staff say Wallace — estimated to be about 3 years old and weighing roughly 48 pounds — is making steady progress and revealing a sweet, affectionate temperament. Natalie Thomson, the rescue's chief communications officer, told PEOPLE that Wallace "believes he is a lap dog," and that the team has been impressed by his resilience and gentle nature.
When he awoke from sedation, a staff member named Julia sat with him and petted him so he wouldn’t wake up alone or frightened. Photos shared by the rescue show Wallace cleaned up and napping on a warm towel inside the shelter.
Wider Context and How to Help
Stray Rescue staff say gunshot survivors are sadly common at their clinic; they currently have others receiving care and typically treat at least one gunshot survivor at a time. The rescue has created a donation page to help cover Wallace’s medical expenses and will post updates as his recovery continues.
Updates: Stray Rescue will share further medical updates and photos as Wallace heals and prepares for long-term rehabilitation and adoption when he is ready.
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