It’s always heartbreaking when someone abandons their pet. Even if you can no longer care for your pet, it’s your responsibility to properly surrender it to a shelter or find them a new home.

But one heartbreaking viral photo shows an abandoned little dog left tied to a fire hydrant by her former owner. Thankfully, the dog is now in safe hands.

The dog, a tan mixed-breed named Baby Girl, was left tied up to a yellow fire hydrant in Green Bay, Wisconsin. According to WFRV Local 5, the dog had a note explaining that the owners could no longer care for the dog, along with a backpack full of the dog’s treats, toys and food.

While it’s clear the owners had their reasons and thought they were doing the responsible thing, it didn’t make it any less of a shock for Kyle Rose Engelhardt, a local woman who found the dog and shared the story on Facebook.

She said seeing Baby Girl like this broke her heart: “Cannot believe someone could do this,” she wrote, asking if anyone recognized the abandoned dog.

Kylie called the police and took Baby Girl to the Wisconsin Humane Society, who took the poor dog into their care and say that she is now “doing great” while in stray hold.

While this wasn’t the most responsible way to part with a dog and many people reacted to the story with outrage, the Humane Society was more sympathetic to the owners, addressing them directly in a Facebook post:

First and foremost, we are so sorry you had to part with your best friend. It’s evident just how much you loved her and we can see you did your best while struggling with your own medical complications and challenges of life. We see your love in the bag you carefully packed with all of her favorite things. We see your love in the way you secured her leash so she wouldn’t get hit by a car. We see your love in the way you placed her in the middle of a neighborhood where she’d be quickly found. We see your love in how happy and healthy Baby Girl looks. And we see your love in the note you left, pleading for someone to help her when you no longer could.Wisconsin Humane Society

While the Humane Society points out that they allow anonymous surrenders and that they won’t let surrender fees “be a barrier,” they told the owners they were ultimately “grateful for your compassion.”

They wrote that Baby Girl is now getting lots of attention from the staff, and that she has a “bright future ahead.”

Poor Baby Girl — we’re sure she was so heartbroken and confused after being left alone like that. But still, it’s apparent that the owners couldn’t care for her anymore, and everything worked out okay in the end.

We hope Baby Girl is doing well and finds a better home situation soon.

Please share this story to spread the word about this beautiful dog!

Service dogs in training spend a night at the theater in viral photos

A performance of a musical had a very special audience recently, playing to a crowd filled with the most unexpected theatergoers… a group of dogs! (Luckily, they weren’t there to see Cats.)

Photos of the dogs attentively watching the stage performance went viral this week, and while it’s nice to think that our pets have developed a taste for showtunes, the story behind the photos is fascinating.

The photos were taken at the Stratford Festival, an ongoing theater festival in Ontario, Canada. The dogs attended a performance of the musical Billy Elliot.

The reason: these guys are service dogs, and a night at the theater prepares them for attending future events like this with their future owners. The evening was part of a two-year training program with K-9 Country Inn Working Service Dogs.

“It’s important to prepare the dogs for any activity the handler may like to attend,” Laura Mackenzie, K-9 owner and head trainer, told CBC. “The theatre gives us the opportunity to expose the dogs to different stimuli such as lights, loud noises and movement of varying degrees. The dogs must remain relaxed in tight quarters for an extended period of time.”

According to CNN, the dogs have also attended events like zoos, subways and fairs, getting prepared to stay calm in any situation.

The dogs attended a special performance designated by the festival as a “Relaxed Performance,” which “specifically designed to welcome patrons who will benefit from a less restricted audience environment.”

“Patrons of all abilities are welcome, including but not limited to those with intellectual or learning disabilities, sensory processing conditions or autism,” the festival’s site reads.

So how did the dogs do? Apparently, they were on their best behavior… and even enjoyed the show!

“All of the dogs were fantastic and remained relaxed throughout the performance. Some even watched through the cracks of the seats,” Mackenzie told CBC. “The dogs loved the show almost as much as their handlers.”

“Everybody was so thrilled to see all these dogs at one time in the audience,” said festival spokesperson Ann Swerdfager. “It’s really exciting. And it’s thrilling to be part of something that is going to serve theatregoers of the future.”

The photos went viral online, getting picked up by popular dog Twitter accounts and even celebrities like Mark Hamill.

“The positive reaction to our outing is both shocking and amazing,” MacKenzie told the Huffington Post. “We are hoping that our adorable photo will be a good opportunity to educate the public about service dogs and accommodating people with disabilities.”

It’s inspiring to see these dogs behave so well at the theater, and are getting training that ensures they can accompany their future masters wherever they want to go.

And honestly, there are plenty of humans who could use some training on how to behave in the theater. Put your phones away, people! The overture’s starting!

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