Dog Abandoned With Note To Be Rehomed After ‘Heartbroken’ Family Talks With Shelter
A sweet four-year-old dog who was found abandoned in a park with a sad note last week will be put up for adoption after the shelter found and spoke to his family on Easter Monday.
Max showed up in a city park in Toronto, Canada on April 3rd with a note that described Max as “very smart, “good with kids,” and “a very good boy.” The note further explained that Max’s owner had lost their job and their apartment and could no longer afford to take care of him.
The Toronto Humane Society immediately put out an appeal on social media for Max’s family to contact them to see if they could help them reunite with Max. The animal shelter has an urgent care program to help pet parents struggling financially to keep their pets by providing foster homes for their pets to give their family a chance to get back on their pet.
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They asked that people not judge the family, who is obviously going through a difficult time. They wrote, “We hope that everyone can be respectful of the pet parent’s decision. What they did was what they knew to be the best option for Max. We have the opportunity to share an even better option! With no judgment and only love, let’s find Max’s family and have them reunite once more.
Soon after, THS told news outlets that they had connected with Max’s family. The family had a long discussion with one of their social workers but in the end opted to surrender Max.
“The family is heartbroken, but at this time, feels the best outcome for Max is to find him a new home,” Tegan Buckingham, director of integrated marketing and development at THS told City News.
The family’s sad situation is becoming all too common across North America with soaring housing costs, job losses and inflation.
“It is really unfortunate for Max and the owner, but it is a sad reality for a lot of the animals that end up at our doors almost everyday,” Phil Nichols, the chief operating officer at the THS,” told CBC News.
THS also understood why pet parents sometimes feel too ashamed to bring their pets into the shelter because they fear judgement. But Buckingham said, “Toronto Humane Society offers a judgement free animal surrender process that does not ask pet parents to pay a fee. We understand how difficult this decision is for many pet families and want to help wherever we can.”
She added that they have other pet support networks to help pet parents weigh out all their options before giving up their pet.
