Senior Dog Left Outside Animal Shelter With A Heartbreaking Note

When rescuers first met Perry, the 10-year-old Pyrenees had been abandoned outside their shelter with a heartbreaking note and a bucket of water. “Over 10 yrs old. Can no longer walk,” read the handwritten missive.

Rescuers immediately brought the abandoned dog inside, where they began to suspect his so-called disability might actually stem from years of neglect. After a veterinarian diagnosed Perry with two types of Lyme disease, rescuers realized the tired old dog might just be sick.

Sure enough, after physical therapy and lots of TLC, Perry was back on his feet – and acting like a totally different dog. “I cried the day he came in and I want to cry just looking at him and how much he’s improved,” said shelter manager, Sabrina Wilcox, told WSYR-TV “It just, he melts my heart.” Rescuers also cut the dog’s thick fur, which was so matted that it constricted his movements.

The Internet was also moved by Perry’s sad story, which garnered thousands of comments from concerned readers worried about the dog’s welfare. These dog lovers also raised $6,000 to pay for Perry’s medical care, which allowed rescuers to help the old dog regain his mobility.

Perry’s former owner, meanwhile, has been charged with failing to provide his dog with veterinary care, which could have prevented this entire ordeal. But rescuers, at least, are trying to turn this heartbreaking situation into a learning opportunity that demonstrates why people should never abandon their pets.