Having a dog comes with significant obligations. Pets require a lot of attention, money, sustenance, and pet-friendly accommodation. Even though pet ownership should be available to all, the unfortunate fact is that it is not, and families are required to make tough decisions regarding their pets every day.
A mother in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently had to make the hard choice of leaving her dog, Lilo, behind when she found herself homeless with two young children.
Instead of taking the dog to a shelter to seek assistance, Lilo’s owner wrote a message and fastened it to the dog’s collar before releasing her outside.
Eventually, a kind person discovered Lilo and transported her to the McKamey Animal Shelter. The shelter took to Facebook to share the sad story, revealing the contents of the note that was found on Lilo’s collar. It read:
“Please keep my name. My name is Lilo. Please love me. My mom can’t keep me and is homeless with 2 kids. She tried her best but can’t get help. I cost too much for her. She really loves me & I’m a great dog & loved to be loved on. Please don’t abuse me.”
The shelter wrote a message of their own in the Facebook post, in case Lilo’s mom happened to be reading it. They stated, “…if you are reading this, we hope you will come forward to claim her. We will assist you with anything you need to take care of her, to the best of our ability. Lilo surely misses you, and we would be thrilled to see her return to the family that loves her.”
In a subsequent post, the shelter announced some wonderful news: Lilo’s mom had been located!
The shelter stated, “Although we cannot disclose many details yet, we are currently collaborating with the family to provide them with a safe place to stay, shelter, and necessary resources to address their homelessness.”
The next day, the shelter announced, “We are partnering with some exceptional non-profit organizations in the Chattanooga region to assist the family in obtaining the assistance they require to reunite and identify sustainable solutions for their circumstances.”
Hopefully, Lilo can soon be reunited with her family for good, as they continue their journey towards stability with the support of the resources being offered to them.
