Enduring financial hardship, lately, some pet owners have had to make hard choices to surrender their furry friends.
A photo of a nearly 6-year-old dog left leashed to a fire hydrant went viral on Facebook. She was left with a backpack full of treats and her favorite toys and a note from her former owners, who could not care for the poor pooch any longer.
That photo was posted online by the Wisconsin Humane Society after a local neighbor saw the abandoned dog at the corner of East Walnut Street and South Clay Street in Green Bay and waited with her for an hour to see if her owners would return.
But they didn’t.
(Courtesy of Kylie Engelhardt)
(Courtesy of Kylie Engelhardt)
The resident then brought her to the Humane Society, and the dog, who, according to the note, was named “Baby Girl,” was temporarily taken into their care.
The contents of the note, the Humane Society explained in the Facebook post, revealed why the owner had to give Baby Girl up. The caption read:
We are so sorry you had to part with your best friend. It’s evident just how much you loved her and we can see you did your best while struggling with your own medical complications and challenges of life. We see your love in the bag you carefully packed with all of her favorite things. We see your love in the way you secured her leash so she wouldn’t get hit by a car. We see your love in the way you placed her in the middle of a neighborhood where she’d be quickly found. We see your love in how happy and healthy Baby Girl looks. And we see your love in the note you left, pleading for someone to help her when you no longer could.
(Courtesy of Wisconsin Humane Society)
News of the heartbreaking abandonment was reported by local media, and thanks to all the publicity, after the stray dog’s mandatory hold, new potential adoptive owners had arrived before the Humane Society opened.
As of May 12, they posted some good news in an update: “She has officially found a new home!” Meanwhile, an “outpouring of kindness for her previous owner” had filled their hearts “to the brim.” They had made contact with them and “passed along supportive resources that have been offered to her from this generous community,” they wrote.
The Humane Society noted that taking care of Baby Girl’s diabetes mellitus (dog diabetes) and medical costs could be expensive, but that she is a “wonderful goofball with a heart of gold.”
(Courtesy of Wisconsin Humane Society)
(Courtesy of Wisconsin Humane Society)
They also reminded the public that they will never turn away an animal in need, and pet owners can surrender their animals anonymously.
“We regularly work to make sure that surrender fees are not a barrier to those needing to rehome their pet, and although we request a surrender appointment be made in advance, we do take in emergency surrenders if necessary. It’s important to us that the community knows we are a supportive, welcoming resource for those in need,” the Humane Society stated.