Dog Left Inside Tent that Had ‘Help’ Message Scrawled On it

‘Help. There’s a dog left here.’ That’s what was scrawled on the outside of a tent in the woods in the east end of London, Ontario in Canada. Inside, a small brown and tan dog.

Shelby Tilley, Bark at the Moon Animal Rescue founder, was contacted after some young hikers who had spotted the tent pitched near Pottersburg Dog Park. They saw the ‘help’ message sprayed on the side of the tent and when they looked inside they found a black and brown dog. That’s when Tilley was contacted.

Tilley shared a TikTok video showing the dog and what was inside the tent and wrote, “It’s been a crazy crazy day.”

@shelbymorgantilley It’s been a crazy crazy day. Please share this and help us find his owner. We just want to see the puppy safe, and will work with them to help make that happen. It’s been a very very emotional day for everyone so please try to keep any negativity, judgements or hate to yourself. #founddog #rescuedog #londonON #ldnont #help ♬ Dandelions – Ruth B.

She told CBC News later that it appeared the dog had been left alone for a few days. “There was pee and poop around the inside of the tent. There was a water bowl. It was brown and very murky.”

Tilley took the dog – now named Tank – and made sure to leave a note with her phone number inside the tent. She’s trying to find the dog’s owner and has reached out to shelters and made posts to social media.

She said that it is quite possible the dog was not left behind purposefully and noted Tank’s human (evidently, a homeless person) could have been hospitalized or something else could have happened to them.

She wrote on TikTok, “We just want to see the puppy safe, and will work with them to help make that happen. It’s been a very very emotional day for everyone so please try to keep any negativity, judgements or hate to yourself.”

“I would love nothing more than to be able to support (the dog’s) family in a way that both of them can be happy and healthy and safe,” said Tilley, who added she could arrange to keep the dog through the cold Canadian winter and/or provide food for the dog. She would like to have the conversation with Tank’s owner first and see how she could support them.

But in the meantime Tilley is paying to keep Tank at a boarding facility.