Sweet Dog Waits On The Porch For Family Who Moved Weeks Ago And Left Her Behind
"She’s been patiently waiting for someone to save her."
Hanna Borysenko / Shutterstock One woman known as @lucksrescue on TikTok recently launched a dog rescue initiative in rural Georgia and consistently uses her platform to share the stories of rescued and abandoned animals. Recently she told the story of Lucy, an Australian Shepherd whose tragic story captured the hearts of many.
The woman rescued Lucy after she was abandoned by her owners and left to live outside in freezing temperatures when they moved away.
At the beginning of the video, the woman showed a scared puppy standing outside of an empty home, looking longingly down the driveway every few moments. “This dog was left behind by her owners when they moved away two weeks ago,” the woman wrote. “She’s been patiently waiting for someone to save her."
Worried about the sweet girl and ready to help her, the woman drove over to the neighbor’s house to get more information on the dog. To her dismay, the neighbor confirmed what she’d been scared of — the family moved away and left her there alone. “She's been living on the porch in below-freezing temperatures,” she wrote.
Thankfully, the woman decided to rescue the abandoned pooch and immediately set to work earning her trust, which didn't take long. By the end of the video, Lucy was already eating treats out of her hand, giving her kisses, and accepting belly rubs.
Sadly, as the animal allowed her to get closer, it became all the more obvious how neglected the puppy was. She had “matted fur as big as my hand,” and was infested with fleas and ticks.
In a much-awaited follow-up video, the woman shared a heartwarming update.
“I took her straight to the vet to get fixed and up to date on shots,” she wrote. “And then it was off to the groomer.”
Lucy has since found an incredible foster who is “teaching her all the ways of an inside dog and helping her build her confidence back up.”
“Lucy is a very popular dog,” she added. “I am reviewing all her adoption applications to find her the perfect home.”
On a less positive note, it appears Lucy’s previous owners will not be held accountable for their neglect. “Unfortunately, I live in a county where we have no animal control," she shared. "Law enforcement is unwilling to go through the steps to charge the people that left her behind.”
Local animal shelters are always looking for help in supporting abandoned pets, along with stray and surrendered animals.
About 6.3 million animals enter U.S. animal shelters each year — 3.1 million of those being dogs. While approximately 4.1 million of these shelter animals are adopted, sadly around 920,000 of them are euthanized each year due to a lack of resources and space.
While many shelters use governmental state funds to help animals, many others rely solely on donations to keep their doors open.
For many local shelters and rescue centers, donations from the public go directly to the treatment of animals — giving them comfy beds, ensuring they have appropriate veterinary attention, and grooming them to be ready for a new home.
These donations make all the difference, both for shelters and people like this woman rescuing animals each day, so if you’re looking for an organization to donate to consider a local rescue.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.