Mom Reunited With Abandoned Dog After Leaving Heartbreaking Note

June 4, 2024 Malorie Thompson

Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. Pets take a lot of resources, including time, money, food, and pet-friendly housing. While pet ownership should be accessible to everyone, the sad reality is that it's not and families are forced to make hard decisions regarding their pets every single day.

A mom in Chattanooga, Tennessee recently made the tough decision to abandon her dog, Lilo, when she found herself homeless with two young kids.

Rather than taking the dog to a shelter to ask for help, Lilo's mom wrote a note and attached it to the dog's collar before setting her free outside.

In the end, Lilo was found by a Good Samaritan and brought to the McKamey Animal Shelter. The shelter took to Facebook to share the heartbreaking story, revealing what the note on Lilo's collar read. It said:

"Please keep my name. My name is Lilo. Please love me. My mom can't keep me and is homeless with 2 kids. She tried her best but can't get help. I cost too much for her. She really loves me & I'm a great dog & loved to be loved on. Please don't abuse me."

The shelter wrote a note of their own in the Facebook post in case Lilo's mom was reading. They said, "...if you are reading this, we hope you will come forward to reclaim her. We will help you with whatever you need to care for her, to the best of our ability. Lilo definitely misses you, and we would like nothing more than to see her go back to the family she loves."

In an update post, they shared some great news: Lilo's mom had been found!

The shelter wrote: "While we can't share a lot of the details with you yet, we are actively working with the family to set them up with a safe haven, shelter, and resources to stay together and tackle homelessness."

The following day, the shelter said, "We are working with some of the amazing non-profit agencies here in the Chattanooga area to get her family the support they need to be reunited and find long-term solutions for their situation."

The family still has a journey ahead, but it's nice to know that they're being offered the resources they need to get on their feet.

Hopefully, Lilo can be permanently reunited with her family in the near future!

Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

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