When Officer Ashley Sanchez of the Eastpointe Police Animal Control Division Michigan received a call about a stray dog wandering near a home, she had no idea what awaited her.
Arriving at the address, she discovered an elderly dog, thin and frail, sitting quietly on the porch.
The woman who had made the report told Sanchez she was frightened by the animal and wanted him removed. She insisted she had never seen him before and claimed he was a stranger to her.
Yet something felt off. Sanchez noticed the dog repeatedly moving toward the front door, as though he expected to be let inside.
The Hidden Truth About Duke
Sanchez gently lifted the dog into her truck. As she did, he kept turning his head back toward the house, clearly bewildered and disoriented.
She scanned him for a microchip, and what she uncovered was shocking.
The dog’s name was Duke, and the microchip revealed he was registered to the very same woman who had called animal control pretending he was a stray.
Duke was fourteen years old. He had spent his entire life with this family, and now, in his most vulnerable stage, they had abandoned him.
Sanchez was devastated.
Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, an organization dedicated to helping stray, sick, and injured dogs in the Detroit area, learned of Duke’s situation and stepped in to cover his medical expenses.
He was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic for a full examination.
The results were grim. Duke was severely malnourished, diagnosed with Lyme disease, and his bloodwork revealed additional serious health problems.
Treatment began right away.
The rescue team made Duke a promise. Once he regained his strength, they would help him find a permanent home where he would be loved and valued.
Steps Toward Healing
Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue later shared a video update showing Duke’s progress.
In the footage, Officer Sanchez is seen gently petting him and offering food, which Duke devoured eagerly.
At one point, he paused mid-meal to lick Sanchez’s face, a tender gesture that seemed to carry gratitude.
Sanchez remembered how Duke had tried again and again to return to his home the day he was left outside.
“She knowingly abandoned him… He kept going from his front door, then kept going to the side back gate, just trying to get in his property. He didn’t understand why he was out there,” Sanchez said in the update shared on Facebook.
After learning the truth, she attempted to speak with the woman who had abandoned him, but the door remained closed.
Sanchez later explained that she had consulted with a prosecutor, and Duke’s former owner would face citations for multiple violations, including filing a false police report.
Thankfully, Duke is now on the path to recovery. With proper care and support, he is slowly healing.
There is hope that in time, Duke will leave behind the pain of his past and find a family who will give him the kindness and respect he has always deserved.