why do people get rid of their pets? There are a variety of reasons. According to the American Humane Association, the most common reasons why people relinquish their dogs is because their place of residence does not allow pets, there is a divorce or death, they don’t feel they have enough time, or the pup has behavioral issues. One of the most common reasons cats are abandoned is because of allergies.
Regardless of the reason, out of the 7.6 million dogs and cats that enter animal shelters nationwide every year, very few are actually brought in by former owners. Most are found as strays.
Actually, there are twice as many strays as there are pets that are brought in, which means a lot of people are dumping unwanted animals on the street.
That fact alone is heartbreaking, but what makes the issue infuriating is the way some of these animals are abandoned. Sometimes the acts are so cruel and malicious it makes you question the very definition of the word humanity.
Willis Rollins, a homeless man who lives in a rough part of southern LA, has seen some sad things happen to dogs out on the streets. He told ABC7 Los Angeles that when he found a nailed-shut doghouse left in a lane of traffic, he was disgusted.
“It’s inhumane,” Rollins said.
Rollins soon contacted a police officer, the door was pried off, and what was found inside spurred the officer to contact the nonprofit rescue group Ghetto Rescue Foundation — which is staffed by police, fire, and civilian personnel who donate their free time to helping animals and families in need. What they found was devastating…
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Once the rescue got to the decrepit doghouse, they were horrified to discover…
…a scared dog that was covered in old and new wounds, some of which had never been treated. He had been locked in the doghouse for three days without food or water.
He was frightened when members of the rescue team approached him and thus refused to come out.
“He was just cowering in the back. His head was down. He was pushed so far into the wall. It was almost like he was trying to run, but there was nowhere else he could go. He just looked like a defeated dog,” said Alison Featherstone, a founding member of GRFF who was on the scene.
Though the dog never nipped or barked, an animal control officer had to pull hard to get the dog out of its shabby shack.
The rescue cleaned up the pup and took him into their care.
The three-year-old dog is a shepherd-chow mix and is 57 pounds.
He was given a new name as well, Walter Worthy Higgins — with an emphasis on the middle name.
Walter Worthy Higgins will be placed in a foster home and socialized before he’s placed in a permanent home. “He is still a great dog,” said Featherstone. “He’s just going to need some help.”
Watch the video below for more information.
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