“Hi! I’m Chewy! My owner was in an abusive relationship and couldn’t afford me to get on the flight. She didn’t want to leave me with all her heart but she has NO other option,” the handwritten note read. “My ex-boyfriend kicked my dog when we were fighting and he has a big knot on his head. He probably needs a vet. I love Chewy sooo much. Please love and take care of him.”
Airport staff found Chewy in the restroom and turned him over to a local rescue group, Connor and Millie’s Dog Rescue (CMDR).
McCarran International Airport spokeswoman Christine Crews told The Washington Post that a lot of pet owners do get separated from their pets in the airport. And the airport has done its best to reunite them eventually.
But this was a different story.
“You could tell by the way the note was written that the woman was in dire stress and she didn’t want to give him up and she couldn’t take him with her,” Darlene Blair of CDMR shared.
And they’re happy to report that Chewy had no permanent injuries. They also placed him with a foster parent, Patricia Montano, so he could heal, rest, and be loved.
But before they placed Chewy with Patricia, they exerted all efforts to find his previous owner.
“The No. 1 reason we started this was to let her know that he was safe and to let her know that if she is safe and wants Chewy back, we will do whatever it takes,” Darlene told The Washington Post.
They didn’t hear anything from the previous owner but they had high hopes they would see the update on Chewy and know he was in excellent hands.
It was tough during the first few nights with Patricia.
“He had a pretty good bump on the side of his head. He also had some really bad pain in his jaw. He yawned and there was just this gut-wrenching scream,” Patricia shared.
CMDR already found a home for Chewy but needed to stay with Patricia for a couple more weeks to monitor him closely for any health issues that may arise.
Patricia also believed sharing Chewy’s story was a great move.
“I think he really set the stage for people to talk about domestic violence,” Patricia said.
It’s heartbreaking to know that there are also many stories of domestic violence with pets.
And Chewy’s story will bring more awareness to rescue groups like CMDR or places like Noah’s Animal House. Noah’s Animal House is a boarding facility for the pets of abuse victims. They look after the pets until the owners are well enough and stable enough to take care of them again.
It’s good to know that, despite not being able to talk, so many people and groups are speaking up for animal abuse victims.
