A few days before Christmas last year, the staff at Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) received a devastating call. A Good Samaritan had just discovered a St. Bernard living alone in an empty home, and the poor boy wasn’t doing well.

“We’re told he was found in a crate in the abandoned house, with nowhere to go …” SRSL wrote on Facebook.

The team agreed to take in the dog, later named Stu. Their hearts sank when they finally met Stu and saw just how sick he was.

“An adult St. Bernard should weigh anywhere between 120 [and] 180 pounds,” SRSL wrote, “and Stu is just 43 pounds.”

More than 80 pounds underweight, Stu was in critical condition the moment he arrived at the shelter’s clinic. In addition to his weight, Stu was freezing cold and caked in filth. But his new friends at SRSL were determined to see the resilient boy fully recover.

The staff gently cleaned Stu, then warmed him up with an assortment of blankets and hugs. They fed the emaciated boy on a strict schedule for days until his health finally started to improve.

Less than a week later, Stu went off to a medical foster home, where he would continue his feeding regimen and treatment plan in a more comfortable setting. There, the sweet boy began to thrive.

“He finds everything comfortable but especially loves this big, custom St. Bernard-sized bed!” SRSL wrote in a Facebook update. “He met the resident dogs and liked them a lot! He spends most of his time sleeping and healing.”

As Stu’s health improved, his personality blossomed. He was always a sweetheart, but as soon as he had the energy to play and snuggle, he became even more affectionate.

“He is such a love bug,” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “If you stop petting him, he nibbles on you until you give him more attention. He is being treated like royalty and thinks he’s a lap dog!”

When he wasn’t snuggling his temporary family, Stu could usually be found playing with his favorite ball. He started to gain weight, soon surpassing the goal SRSL set from the beginning of his rescue.

“He has literally doubled his weight and is still gaining weight,” SRSL wrote in a Facebook post. “This St. Bernard took everyone’s breath away when he came to us in December.”

In addition to Stu’s triumphant weight gain, the team had one more reason to celebrate when he was officially adopted earlier this month. He went off to an amazing family, who can’t picture their lives without him now.

“[O]verall, he’s the most perfect angel,” Stu’s family wrote in a letter to SRSL, shared on Facebook.

Stu’s friends at SRSL are excited to see him settle into his forever home. As much as they miss his comforting hugs around the office, they are ecstatic to know he is exactly where he belongs.

“Time to heal in peace, sweet angel,” SRSL wrote. “You deserve the whole, entire world.”