Having to give up a pet is always difficult.
And sadly, if it does come to that, there are some ways to do it that are better than others.
A lot of the time, it comes down to the owner no longer having the time or patience to look after their pet, with many giving up their pets when they have their first baby.
Often, when rescuers arrive on the scene, they don’t know why the dog has been abandoned, or where it has come from.
Most of the time, they don’t even know its name.
For this reason, rescuers are glad when the dog’s previous owner at least leaves a note to explain the basics.
This was the case when a 2-year-old American bulldog was found tied to a tree at the North Linwood entrance to Patterson Park in Baltimore.
No one had any idea how long the poor pup had been there for, but he at least had a note explaining what his name was.
Local resident Leslie Gray’s husband was the first to spot the dog, as he was out in the park walking his own pooch. According to Leslie, the note tied to the dog read:
“My name is Duke. Here’s my favorite toy and my food. I am looking for a new home.”
The dog soon began to attract some interest.
Stephanie Dagenhart decided to take some photos and share them on Facebook to show her outrage about the situation.
She wrote that she was losing faith in humanity.
Not only was the poor pup frightened, but he was also very cold.
There had been a code blue alert issued in that area of Baltimore, meaning that the temperatures had dropped below freezing.
“I think he was really scared, really cold,” Stephanie told WMAR-2 News. “I did not want to leave his side. I just felt my heart drop.”
Stephanie sat with Duke for an hour out in the cold as they waited for assistance from a rescue team.
Meanwhile, her post began to blow up on Facebook, and people took to the comments to vent their frustration.
“I couldn’t imagine the frustration or the anger that someone would have to put a dog on a tree and tie it up like that,” one person commented. “I guess they got the reaction or what they were looking for.”
By the time animal control arrived, many neighbors were helping Duke keep warm and calm, with towels and different treats.
Thanks to Stephanie’s Facebook post, there were already a number of people showing interest in adopting the pup.
Since Duke wasn’t dropped off by his owners, he has to wait three days before he can begin the adoption process.
BARCS spokeswoman Bailey Deacon stresses that if people feel like they cannot look after their pet anymore, the best thing to do is take them to the shelter.
“As always, our message to the community is that BARCS is an open admission shelter,” she said. “We accept animals without judgment and we are here to help pet owners in crisis. If ever you can’t keep your pet, you can bring them right down to the shelter.”
Soon after arriving in the shelter, Duke found his perfect dad!
And as the shelter wrote, it was love at first sight for them both:
“About 30 minutes ago, Duke was officially adopted by U.S. Army Specialist Wallace White. Wallace didn’t even realize he had picked out a celebrity dog until a friend pointed out the news stories to him. He just happened to fall in love Duke just for being Duke.”
What a wonderful happy ending for everyone involved. Learn more about Duke’s story in the video below!
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