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Community Steps Up To Save A Dog And Change A Homeless Mother’s Fate

Written by: Stephanie Maguire
Stephanie Maguire is a writer for iHeartdogs.com. She loves animals so much that she started her own pet-sitting business in 2017, and goes out of her way to point-out and pet every single dog she sees.Read more
| Published on January 26, 2023

When a mom and her two kids fell on hard times and found themselves homeless, she felt like she had no other option but to give up their beloved dog, Lilo. After a good Samaritan found Lilo all alone and took her to the shelter, they made a plea to the public to try and reunite Lilo with her loving family.

Then, many people in their community offered to donate dog food, so this family could stay together.

Lilo
Facebook

When a good Samaritan found Lilo wandering around with a heart-wrenching note clipped to her collar and her leash still attached, they decided that the best thing to do would be to bring her to the McKamey Animal Center

The note read: “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 and I’m a great dog and love to be loved on. Please don’t abuse me. Please keep my name.”

Heartbreakingnote
Facebook
Making the extraordinarily difficult decision to re-home a furry family member is not one that an animal lover would take lightly. And, after reading that note, it was obvious that sweet Lilo is extremely loved. Clearly, Lilo’s mom felt forced to make this excruciatingly heartbreaking decision due to her current set of circumstances. 

Perhaps she was embarrassed, couldn’t get to the shelter in person, or wasn’t aware that there were resources that could help. But luckily, The McKamey Animal Center knew that what mattered most now was finding Lilo’s mom and getting their family back together. 

 They could have simply rehomed her. They could have kept the note and never showed a single soul. But instead, they addressed the underlying issue with incredible compassion and understood that Lilo missed her mom and deserved the opportunity to find her humans. So, they made a post on their Facebook page addressing Lilo’s mom.

Their post let Lilo’s mom know that her sweet pup was found wandering around where she had left her and that she was now safe and sound. They explained how they understood how hard it must have been for her to make this decision and reassured her that they would keep her name and find Lilo a wonderful new home. But then, they urged her to come forward to reclaim her beloved Lilo and explained that they are well connected with resources that could help her.
Not only did the animal rescue reach out and offer help, but once they shared the situation on Facebook, tons of people offered to donate food or funds to help feed Lilo. And guess what? It worked! Lilo’s mom somehow saw the letter and came forward to claim her sweet girl.

Not only did sweet Lilo find her way to the rescue, but the rescue did everything they could to find her Mom and connect her with the help she needed! Plus, the community came together to support one of their own. What started out as something soul-crushing truly turned around to be something incredibly heartwarming.

Just look at the magic that happens when we extend compassion to our fellow humans and furry family members.
Featured Image: Facebook 

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