UPDATE: Police Have Located Person Who Ditched Dog in Parking Lot

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE

According to WGME 13, Lewiston Police have identified and interviewed the person responsible for dumping the dog outside of Greater Androscoggin Humane Society and driving away.

I had to leave the studio early today because I watched a video released by the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society on Facebook.

On Monday night, someone pulled into the parking lot outside the shelter after it had closed and opened the back door of their van. In the video, the person can be seen letting the dog out and quickly closing the door. The person then gets back in the car and speeds off. What happened next reduced me to tears, and I'm starting to cry again as I write this.

The dog chased after the car, running as fast as it could and wagging it's tail. The sweet dog was probably thinking, "This is just a mistake, my human forgot me, but they'll see me if I run and catch them!" The dog never caught up.

The video is heartbreaking. It is the most upsetting video I've seen in my life.

For days after reviewing the tape, the humane society posted missing dog alerts on their Facebook page, saying that the dog was extremely nervous and exhausted. There were multiple reports of sightings of the pup since Monday, but no one had been able to catch him.

The story takes an even more upsetting turn today as the dog was found hit by a car.

This poor pup died after experiencing an unimaginable betrayal from his human. The dog died searching for the same human who discarded him like garbage. This dog died displaying the undying loyalty and devotion of a dog, no matter what cruelty he faced. 

I do my best to withhold judgement from animal surrender situations. Many dogs come into the shelters because their humans cannot continue to care for them. The reasons don't matter -- the humans are doing what they believe is best and giving their dog a fighting chance at finding a new loving home that can give them the care and love they deserve.

I cannot find any way to spin this story to sympathize for the human who dropped the dog off in the parking lot and sped away. The lack of compassion and abundance of cruelty confounds me. There are options. You have options to give that dog a fighting chance. Wait until the shelter opens, find a friend who can take the dog for you, at the very least, tie the dog to the front door so he cannot run and wander into further harm.

Sweet, sweet dog, I'm sorry your human failed you. I hope you get the comfiest spot on the king size dog bed up there. After all, all dogs go to heaven.

If you or someone you know needs to rehome their animal, please connect with a local animal shelter or rescue organization.