Seeing lost or abandoned pets has sadly become a familiar sight in many communities.
Some owners do bring their dogs to shelters when they can no longer care for them, hoping that someone else will step in and give them a safer future.
Far too often, though, dogs are denied even that small mercy. Instead of being taken somewhere safe, they are left completely on their own, expected to get by without any help at all.
What Was Inside The Bag
Scott Lockard was headed to work at the Oklahoma Humane Society, when he spotted a black bag tied to the shelter’s door handle.
He checked it and found a small brown dog inside. This wasn’t the first time Scott had found animals left at the center. He told The Dodo:
This wasn’t the first time I have arrived at the adoption center to find animals waiting there, so I can’t say I was super surprised. I was happy to get her in and fed and watered, so I was mostly just thinking about getting the little dog comfortable.
Once the pup was safely inside, Scott took some time to get to know her. She seemed a bit timid at first but appeared to be healthy overall.
When Scott looked through the bag, he found a handwritten note.
The message read: Her name is Maris, find her a good home.
It was a heartbreaking note—suggesting that whoever left her behind may have cared but wasn’t able to keep her.
A Problem That Keeps Growing
The humane society decided to raise awareness about the increasing number of dogs abandoned at their center by sharing Maris’s photo.
Roshelle Anderson, the marketing manager, told The Dodo: We didn’t post the photo to specifically call out the people who left the pet, but rather, to bring attention to a greater problem facing our community.
The shelter is overwhelmed. Adoptions are slowing while the number of abandoned dogs keeps rising. With limited space and resources, it’s becoming harder to accommodate them all.
They’re urging people to step up and adopt, helping give more dogs a chance at a loving home.
