In a viral Facebook post, a dog rescue shared the face of a pup looking at his owner drive away after leaving him there, and internet users can’t cope with the heartbreak.
“Arriving at the rescue today is Merle. This picture is of him watching his mom drive away,” says the post shared on the platform on October 12.
“This friendly fella’s owner passed away a while ago and while the owner’s wife tried her hardest to keep their boy, her health will no longer allows her to continue, so she tearfully surrendered him,” the post explains.
Merle is a healthy 7-year-old great Pyrenees who has received veterinarian care with the proper immunizations and tick prevention throughout his life. He is also well house trained and can be alone up to eight hours if necessary.
While he’s enjoyed the company of his previous owners’ grandchildren, the shelter believes that given his age, a home without a constant high energy level may be best. He also does well with dogs, cats however, he’s never experienced.
Carole Gonsalves from the Great Pyrenees Rescue of Wisconsin, the breed specific rescue located in Neshkoro where Merle was left, told Newsweek that she appreciates people leaving their dogs at the rescue instead of abandoning them.
“We have witnessed a large increase in the number of Great Pyrenees surrendered from loving owners who can either no longer afford the increase in cost to buy food or pay for vetting. Some owners have lost their homes,” she said.
“We at GPRW would love nothing more than to give handouts to these families making it possible to keep their dogs but that is a temporary solution and only seems to drag out the painful departure that is inevitable.”
The rescue usually keeps in touch with the past owners, and lets them know once the pups are safely placed in a new loving home.
“I am extremely protective of these families as they go out of their way to find us and to transport their dog to us. Others have sadly abandoned their dogs in the wild or dropped them anonymously at a local shelter.”
The post quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 2,300 likes and 301 comments on the platform.
One user, Alexis Amann, commented: “I hope whoever he ends up with will make it a point to keep in contact with his mom and send her updates.”
Kim Krause said: “He looks so confused and devastated. Heartbreaking for all.”
Nell’s Grooming added: “Omg makes me want to cry. [Poor] boy has been through too much already.”
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