In a perfect world every dog would spend their whole lives with their loving owners, but sadly that isn’t the case. Many pets get surrendered to shelters by their owners, leaving them to find a new home.
While some people leave their pets heartlessly and for selfish reasons, sometimes owners have no choice but to give up their pets, even though it breaks their heart, because it’s the best thing for them.
But one story is particularly heartbreaking—a story of an impossible choice made by a 12-year-old boy.
A heartbreaking note
Xollin animal shelter in Mexico got an unexpected delivery on February 13, 2020, when a box was left outside their door. They opened it and discovered that someone had left them a tiny brown puppy:
It’s not very uncommon for people to leave their pets in front of shelters without warning, but what stood out was the fact that the dog came with a handwritten note and a dog toy.
The shelter read the note, and discovered the heartbreaking truth: the puppy had been given up by his 12-year-old owner… to protect him from his abusive father.
“My name is Andres and I am 12 years old,” the note reads, in translation. “My mom and I have decided to leave the dog in your hands without my father knowing about it because he wanted to sell it.”
“He beat and kicked it,” Andres explains. “He kicked it so hard once that he hurt its tail. I hope you can help it and look after it.”
In a devastating final word he says he left the toy “so he won’t forget me.”
It’s a sickening reminder of how cruel people can be, and of the innocent victims left traumatized by abuse—not just the poor puppy but the boy forced to give up his friend.
Rene rescued
The shelter took the puppy in and named him Rene. After posting the story on Facebook they received hundreds of applications, but they stressed that the dog would still need medical treatment before he could be put up for adoption.
Due to the abuse, the Rene’s tail was fractured. He also had to be dewormed and vaccinated.
“This means more expenses and work for us,” the shelter wrote, “but luckily the dog will be safe.”
A new home for Rene
After a few weeks of recovering in the shelter, Rene found a new home.
In March 2020, Xollin announced that Rene had been adopted by a “family that loves him so much.”
Photos show Rene on his ride home from the shelter, full of joy as he sits in the lap of his new owner:
It’s a bittersweet ending to a sad story. In an ideal world, Rene would’ve gotten to stay with the boy who loved him, but it would’ve been impossible and subjected the dog to more pain and abuse.
But we’re sure Rene will never forget his first owner who made such a sweet, heartbreaking sacrifice: a photo shared by the shelter shows him playing with the stuffed bear the boy left him with:
It’s a sad story, but one that shows the true love this boy had for his dog. He saved Rene and gave him a chance at a better life, even if it meant having to give him up.
We hope that Rene is doing well in his new home, and wish for a world where no dog has to suffer any abuse.
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