Because not all dogs were abandoned because their owners didn’t care, this dog’s story in Green Bay, Wisconsin is probably different. It appears that the owner had no option but to do so, although it’s impossible to know for sure.
On Facebook, a photo of what appears to be a beagle mix dog began circulating. She’s sitting alone on a fire hydrant in Green Bay with her gray bag by her side.
A local resident named Kylie Rose Engelhardt first noticed the puppy and waited for its owner to return. In a Facebook post, Engelhardt shared a photo of the distressed dog with the following statement:
“Left on the corner of E Walnut and Clay. Calling into the police but does anyone recognize?!”
She later updated her followers:
“Update: sat outside with her for an hour keeping her warm waiting for someone to come back but no one did. Took her to the humane society in Green Bay. I did my best everyone. Trust me, it breaks my heart too.”
According to WFRV-TV, the nearly six-year-old dog was given food, toys, and snacks, as well as a letter describing the situation.
The dog’s name was “Baby Girl,” and her owners were unable to care for her. The contents of the backpack, as well as the note, were not disclosed; however, it was stated that the dog was given all of these belongings that meant a lot to her.
There’s no doubt that this was a difficult decision for the owner if the note was real.
The dog has been taken in by the Wisconsin Humane Society. In addition, in a public statement on Facebook, they expressed compassion for the dog’s former owners. They stated:
“You may have seen this recent photo of a dog tied to a fire hydrant in Green Bay, and we understand it evokes a strong emotional response. She’s currently in our care serving her mandatory stray hold and is doing great. As her story gains attention locally and beyond, we wanted to take a moment to address Baby Girl’s previous owner directly.”
The post continued:
“First and foremost, 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. While we’ll never let fees be a barrier and we welcome anonymous surrenders, we see that you did what you thought was best for your beloved pup and we are grateful for your compassion.
Rest assured that she’s safe, she’s getting tons of attention from our team, and she’s on track to finding her next loving family very soon.”
To summarize, the shelter stated:
“We wish you all the best and hope that if you see this, you can rest a little easier knowing your Baby Girl has a bright future ahead.”
Every animal in a shelter or rescue facility has an individual tale to tell. Some dogs were given up because they had been neglected or injured, while others were put down owing to illness, age, or sometimes the owner’s inability to have a dog in their life.
The saddening aspect of it all is to have to let them go…
