Less than one week ago, a viral video appeared to show the heartbreaking moments a dog is let out of a car in a Sweetwater neighborhood before the sobbing driver pulled away.
In West Miami Dade, Florida, the heart wrenching video footage was recorded on a nearby homeowner’s Ring doorbell. A white sedan is seen approaching the area last Wednesday afternoon, and a woman is seen stepping out of the car and removing the dog – leaving him momentarily confused but obediently waiting on the side of the road as if the woman had told the dog to stay in that spot.
No doubt the dog felt uneasy and tried his best to get back into the car; he circled the car as if looking for an open door and then tried getting on his two back legs trying to figure out why the owner wasn’t opening the door to let him back in.
Moments later, the driver left, leaving the dog behind.
Fortunately, fate stepped in, and the Good Samaritan who owned the home with the ring doorbell, Abraham Siu, played back the video and posted it online after running outside to comfort the panicky pup.
Shortly after the video went viral, Bajas, a local groomer at Wag Spot, reached out to Siu and offered to help. If the dog was to be adopted, Bajas wanted to provide him with a free bath and a groom to make him look as handsome as possible.
But the kindness towards this frightened dog wasn’t over yet. Pastor Garcilazo also saw the video and wanted to rescue the dog.
That afternoon the pup received the royal treatment at Wag Spot, and a video posted to social media showed the friendly pooch greeting everyone he met and eagerly wagging his tail in pure delight.
Garcilazo said he ultimately decided to adopt the dog and dubbed him, “Leo.”
But the story isn’t over yet. The woman seen in the viral video leaving Leo outside near a South Florida animal shelter shared her side of the story. The college student told authorities she just wanted to do the right thing.
On December 2, the student’s roommate had texted her saying the stray dog was outside, and she was afraid the dog would get struck by a car. When she went to meet the dog, she noticed how matted the dog was and wanted to help.
The next morning, she drove the dog to the Doral shelter – Miami Dade Animal Shelter, where the staff told her the shelter was full, and there was nothing they could do. The woman already had a dog and a cat and had been getting ready to leave for the Christmas break.
Miami-Dade Animal Services are currently investigating, and admitted they are limited to intaking pets because of the overcrowding. This, however does not mean they will turn everyone away and do offer some options even if it means holding onto the stray for a few more days.
As for where she dropped the dog off in the nearby neighborhood, since the dog had no collar and was not microchipped, she hoped the owner lived in the area and would have been looking for their dog.
It would seem this young woman had been put in a very difficult situation, and she did admit crying and worrying about the dog being outdoors alone.
Dog owners need to be more responsible. Leo is one of the lucky dogs, and Pastor Garcilazo came to the rescue. Sadly, not all dogs are as fortunate, and so many stray and abandoned dogs roam the streets just trying to survive through no fault of their own.
Check out the video:
It is illegal to abandon your pets.
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