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Every year, vulnerable, innocent pets are abandoned for no good reason. The ASPCA estimates that 6.5 million companion animals enter American animal shelters every single year, and sometimes, their abandonment stories are heartbreaking.
It was the day after Christmas when Santa Fe animal services received a perplexing call. According to witnesses, a man had pulled into a Dunkin' Donuts, let his dog out of the car, ordered himself a coffee, and then driven away without her.
Surveillance footage failed to capture the license plate of the dark Chevy van, but the driver’s face was captured clearly. “The male opened his door and let the dog out of the vehicle with the note attached to its neck,” Santa Fe police wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. “The man then proceeded to go into Dunkin’ Donuts and order a cup of coffee.”
“The dog followed the man from the vehicle to the front door of the business,” they continued, “but was ignored by the man.” Footage then showed the dog’s owner reentering his car and driving away, leaving the dog standing alone in the parking lot. She did, however, have a heartbreaking note attached to her collar.
“I’m free,” it read. “I’m having babies.”
The dog, named “Jackie” by her rescuers, was quickly taken into the care of Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society. She turned out to be a beautifully resilient pup and warmed to staff immediately. “She is social and loves people,” the shelter’s PR officer Murad Kirdar told The Dodo. “I was actually hanging out with her today.”
After a thorough examination by the shelter’s veterinarian, it turned out that it was too early to tell whether or not Jackie was pregnant. “The safety of the dog was not the person’s main concern,” shelter staff stated.
Shortly after the dog’s safe retrieval, the shelter added an interesting update to their original Facebook post. “The man who abandoned the dog came forward and self-reported,” they shared. “He was cited for animal neglect and paid a surrender fee to the animal shelter where the dog is now being cared for.”
Responses to the pup’s sad story varied hugely. While everybody was concerned for Jackie’s welfare, some suggested that the previous owner had been sensible to leave her in a public place rather than abandon her in the middle of nowhere. “I believe you did what you thought was the best thing at the time,” one reader shared.
Others reminded one another of a pet owner’s responsibility for their animal and chastised the man for leaving her all alone in a vulnerable state. “One does not leave a dog one believes to be pregnant or sick or whatever in a parking lot,” said one person. “What a frightening and awful way to dispose of an animal.”
“Unfortunately, stories like this are all too common,” the shelter responded. “But,” they added, speaking to the animal welfare advocates who keep their spirits buoyant, “it’s people like you that care and truly make a difference in the lives of these animals.”
A very special advocate also came through for Jackie. “Someone in Kentucky saw our social media post on Jackie,” the society wrote in a heartwarming update on Facebook. “That person, who was closely following developments of the dog, reached out to her sister, Rebecca, who was vacationing in Colorado but lived in Albuquerque.”
“Needless to say,” they continued, with a pause for dramatic effect, “Rebecca’s journey back home involved a very special stop at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter!” The shelter then added invaluable information on the right thing to do if you need to surrender an animal. And no, Dunkin' Donuts was not on the list.
Three months after being abandoned, Jackie rode off into the sunset with her partner for life. No other pup deserves anything less.
