Every day, the number of abandoned dogs increases and shelters get fuller and fuller.
This is very well shown by numerous headlines that bring shocking stories about abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs.
Just one such title was found in numerous articles by well-known media houses, which talks about a specific situation in which two abandoned dogs were found.
Facebook Post That Resonated
On October 20, 2023, the Virginia shelter wrote a post on its official Facebook profile that attracted the attention of the wider community.
“It’s Friday—help us FIND the person(s) responsible for abandoning their dog like trash.” Richmond Animal Care & Control wrote, alluding to the 4-year-old female Pitbull that was found next to the dumpster.
Although this sad event itself was a signal for alarm, the fact that the volunteers of the shelter found another abandoned dog in the same place only 3 months ago, on July 15, gave this whole story a greater dimension.
“This is the second time we’ve found a dog in this exact location and situation. What is HAPPENING?!?” they asked.
In their post from July 15, they also sent a strong message, quoting: “It is NEVER ok to abandon your dog in a crate next to the dumpster, discarded like trash,” adding, “We are TIRED of cleaning up the fall out from citizens awful decisions and we are heartbroken for these animals who trusted their owners that failed them. 💔 PLEASE STOP!”
Unfortunately, this reprimanding but well-intended appeal obviously did not reach all ears, so a similar situation happened again faster than they expected.
The Owners Should Be More Conscientious
After they saved Bonanza, as they called the rescued Pitty pup, Rob Leinberger, Program and Operations Supervisor, said a few words in an interview for The 12News.
“It’s not ideal. We don’t know anything about these dogs, we’d like to know about, you know, have they ever had vaccinations? What’s their history? You know, have they bitten anybody? Or anything to help us with, with finding, you know, resources and homes for these young dogs,” Leinberger said.
He said that when animals get left anywhere, there are many risks, and that is not how owners should go about handling a situation where they cannot care for their pet anymore.
“Any number of things that could happen, other animals coming into contact with it. Wildlife might have come into contact with it. Other dogs, cats, I mean, just the list goes on and on,” Leinberger also said.
He also added that this has become a growing trend and that, lately, they have been encountering similar problems every now and then.
One can only guess why this is so, but Leinberger still asks citizens to be conscious when it comes to their pets and to seek help if they cannot cope with the obligations.
“In some cases, we can help you directly by taking the pet not always. But in some cases, we can but the starting point is just to call us and we can help you find resources,” Leinberger said.
However, not everything is so dark in this story, and we deliberately left this happy news for last.
According to People, both of these dogs had their happy endings, as they soon found their furever homes.
We hope that their new owners will be much more responsible towards their pets and that this Virginia shelter will no longer need to write similar posts.