Dog left tied to fire hydrant with backpack full of toys, heartbreaking note from owner
GREEN BAY, Wis. - A heart-wrenching image of a dog found tethered to a fire hydrant in Wisconsin earlier this week has gone viral.
The Wisconsin Humane Society Facebook posted the image of the dog on Thursday morning, shining light on the dog now known as Baby Girl and some insight into why the pup was abandoned by her owner.
Baby Girl was left tied to a fire hydrant, with a backpack full of her favorite toys, and a note from her owner.
"There was a note left and, to us, it was really an act of desperation," the Humane Society explained in their post, which showed compassion for the owner, who they say very clearly loved the dog.
The Humane Society said that in the note, the owner talked about struggling with serious medical issues and being unable to care for the dog.
"After seeing several days of people attacking and vilifying the owner – our post today has been beautifully received by the community and is now seeing the humanity in this situation," said Angela Speed.
Baby Girl is now in the hands of the Wisconsin Humane Society's Green Bay location.
Wisconsin Humane Society
"The owner was doing the best that they can with the resources that they had. Baby Girl was tied tightly to this fire hydrant so she wouldn’t get hit by a car. She was packed full of supplies and a backpack…toys, and treats and all of her favorite things," Speed said.
The Humane Society reminded the public that they care for people too. And these situations are never easy for owners.
"Check assumptions and judgment and bias at the door the best that we can because it better serves the owners, the pets in our care, and the community as a whole," she said.
In the meantime, Baby Girl is settling quite comfortably in her new home an the Wisconsin Humane Society says Baby Girl will be available for adoption in the coming days.
The organization says if you find yourself in a similar situation, call to make a surrender appointment.
The post addresses the dog's previous owner directly in a rather compassionate way. It reads as follows:
First and foremost, we are so sorry you had to part with your best friend. It’s evident just how much you loved her and we can see you did your best while struggling with your own medical complications and challenges of life. We see your love in the bag you carefully packed with all of her favorite things. We see your love in the way you secured her leash so she wouldn’t get hit by a car. We see your love in the way you placed her in the middle of a neighborhood where she’d be quickly found. We see your love in how happy and healthy Baby Girl looks. And we see your love in the note you left, pleading for someone to help her when you no longer could.
While we’ll never let fees be a barrier and we welcome anonymous surrenders, we see that you did what you thought was best for your beloved pup and we are grateful for your compassion. Rest assured that she’s safe, she’s getting tons of attention from our team, and she’s on track to find her next loving family very soon. We wish you all the best and hope that if you see this, you can rest a little easier knowing your Baby Girl has a bright future ahead.
If you would like to make a forever home for a pet at the Wisconsin Humane Society, it is possible. Learn more information about the adoption process.
FOX 6 Milwaukee contributed to this report.