The story of the poor little dog chasing down the pick-up that contained her supposed owners after they dumped her at a Shell gas station in Slide, Louisiana is getting a chance at a happy ending.
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It started a few weeks ago, when Laurie Hollis captured the below image of a little dog chasing after a truck. The owners of the German shepherd mix, named Butterbean, were then tracked down.
Jeff Dorson, director for the Humane Society of Louisiana told ABC News:
“A local reporter found the owners, and we’ve discovered it’s not uncommon at all for this family to abandon the dog at the station and let it chase their truck,” Dorson said. “They’ve done this multiple times and apparently think it’s no big deal, and they don’t seem to care about the welfare of the dog.”
Her owner, Lisa Pearson, kept Butterbean on a tie-out in the yard when she was on the property. Apparently, she saw nothing wrong with leaving her dog and have her chase the pick-up – apparently she had done it before.
Animal Control issued a warning to her, but she was unwilling to give the dog up.
That’s when the Humane Society stepped in and offered her $400 to relinquish Butterbean. She agreed.
Dorson told ABC News:
“We certainly don’t like to reward this kind of behavior, but sometimes it simply takes too long for cases to move through the legal system. Our first concern was Butterbean’s safety. We were convinced she could be let loose again to run in traffic at any time, and we might miss our opportunity to intervene.”
However, Pearson may still face charges or fines for violating local ordinances in regards to the dog’s care and behavior.
Butterbean is now being cared for by Furry Friends Animal Hospital in Harvey, Louisiana and will be up for adoption soon. If you are interested in her, contact them via their website.
Butterbean’s Legacy
Dorson and the rest of the staff at the Humane Society of Louisana are hoping that Butterbean’s plight will not be an end, but the beginning to raise awareness about other dogs in need.
According to their website, “The situation is compounded by the fact that half of the state’s parishes are without shelters and/or animal control agencies. To help reach more deserving dogs in need, we’re launching a ‘Butterbean Buddies’ campaign.”
“If only a handful of people concerned about Butterbean pitched in to help, we could save thousands of dogs here in Louisiana,” Dorson says. Donors to the group’s ‘Butterbean Buddies’ year-long campaign will receive stories by email or mail highlighting stories of other rescued Louisiana dogs.
Donations of any size are encouraged. “Typically, it costs us about $500 to rescue, vet and neuter a homeless dog, including the cost of heartworm treatment. If we house, feed, care for and place the dog through our our cross-country adoption program, TransPUPtation, we’re looking at another $500 per dog,” Dorson says.
“We’d love to save 500 dogs or more through our Butterbean Buddies during the next year,” says Dorson. The Humane Society of Louisiana helps animals through cruelty cases and through its TransPUPtation program, which rescues dogs from kill-shelters and helps place them through cross-country adoptions. They are working to expand their new Enoch J. Donaldson Animal Sanctuary, which is the state’s largest no-kil refuge.
Donors may give to the ‘Butterbean’s Buddies’ HERE or by sending a check to: Humane Society of Louisiana, PO Box 740321, New Orleans, LA 70174.
(H/T: ABC News)
Have a rescue story to share? Email me at Kristina@homelifemedia.com
