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Man Cruelly Abandons Dog At Shelter, Dog Chases Him
The sweet dog just didn't understand what was going on or why his owner was driving off without him.
Catherine Marucci
10.17.18

People who work at animal shelters definitely have their fair share of sad stories to tell about neglected or abused pets.

But what the staff of the Hawkins County Humane Society in Tennessee witnessed happen to this abandoned dog one day through their surveillance cameras is just on a different level of heartbreaking.

The saddest moment

As seen from the footage captured by the shelter’s surveillance camera, a man came driving a truck to the front of the shelter with a blue heeler dog in the bed of his vehicle. Realizing that the shelter was closed for the day because of a quarantine, he proceeds to leave the dog behind.

Sensing that his human is abandoning him, the blue heeler dog proceeded to cling onto his owner’s legs to stop him.

But it didn’t.

loss
Daily Mail
Source:
Daily Mail

The man then swatted the poor dog, got back in his truck, and drove away.

Heartbreaking isn’t it?

But prepare your heart for more.

The chase

In the video, we see the blue heeler run after his owner at full speed as he was driving the truck onto the road. The poor loyal dog even got on the highway to chase after his beloved owner, which was a dangerous feat.

abandoned
Daily Mail
Source:
Daily Mail

Good thing, all of this was seen by the shelter’s staff who then proceeded to follow the dog onto the highway.

“The dog loved him. He didn’t deserve it.”

– Sandy Benhke, the shelter’s manager, in an interview with The Times News.

Fortunately, they were able to retrieve the two-year-old dog and take him back to the shelter.

chase
Daily Mail
Source:
Daily Mail

One of the staff Joseph Cadorette recalled how they chased the dog up to the highway:

“We noticed a vehicle pulling out with a dog chasing it and our staff members went out to chase him. He was running down Highway 11. He almost got hit by four or five cars before we got him back in the parking lot.”

A new name, a new life

The shelter’s staff admitted the blue heeler dog and christened him with a new name, Rawhide, since they didn’t know his old one.

After being neutered and getting all the necessary shots, Rawhide would then be eligible for adoption so he can find a better home which would love him the way he deserves to be loved.

shelter
Sandy Murray via Facebook
Source:
Sandy Murray via Facebook

A surprising email

In a surprising turn of events, the shelter received an email from the man who left Rawhide at the shelter.

Apparently, he rescued Rawhide from the street but decided to take him to the shelter after he got aggressive towards the man’s other smaller dog.

“The dog was in more danger where it was with exposure to starvation, other dogs, vehicular traffic, and coyotes. The dog was brought to the shelter during working hours with the understanding it would be admitted. When it was not, the false impression was given that the man had abandoned his own dog rather than trying to rescue a stray.”

– the shelter posted on their Facebook page after receiving the email.

Whether the man was telling the truth or not, the important thing is that Rawhide is safe and sound. The next priority would then be choosing a new home for him after multiple people volunteered to adopt him.

What do you think about Rawhide’s story? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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Video source: Daily Mail

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