When a dog gets adopted, you hope that it’s for good, that they’ll have a very happy life and never have to return to the shelter. But for some dogs, adoption is not the happy ending they dreamed of.
Recently, one dog ended up back in the shelter for the third time after being abandoned by his adopter, and was drastically underweight — but he never lost his loving spirit and recently got some incredible news…
On November 26, the Paris Animal Welfare Society, in Kentucky, shared the “devastating” story of a dog named Lynch, who recently returned to their care for the third time after a heartbreaking series of events.
Lynch first arrived at the shelter as a stray in May 2023. He was reclaimed by his owner, but was later found again as a stray in February 2024, and this time no one came to pick him up.
But a month later, Lynch was adopted, and it seemed to be a happy ending for him. However, last month Paris Animal Welfare Society learned that Lynch had been left at a different shelter about an hour from them, abandoned by his adopter.
Making the situation even more shocking, Lynch was drastically underweight: he was only 39.3 pounds, after weighing around 65 pounds when he left the shelter. Far from getting the happy ending he deserved, it seems the poor dog had been living a life of neglect.
“To say we were shocked on the condition of the dog … is an understatement,” Paris Animal Welfare Society wrote on Facebook. “Lynch was abandoned by his adopter — someone we thought would give him a wonderful life.”
Even after everything Lynch went through, they say he hasn’t lost his loving spirit: “Despite the neglect our baby faced in such a short time, he has been the happiest dog to see us and his tail hasn’t stopped wagging,” the shelter wrote.
Some blamed the shelter for not vetting their applicants carefully enough and for letting Lynch end up in bad hands. Paris Animal Welfare Society took their share of responsibility and promised not to “fail him again.”
“We want our community to know that our team is absolutely devastated that our own baby ended up in this situation. Our team does feel at fault and like they’ve failed him,” they wrote in a Facebook comment.
They also wrote that the notified the proper authorities about Lynch’s abandonment; there is currently no word on whether charges have been made against Lynch’s former owner or if an investigation is underway.
UPDATE:
Lynch’s heartbreaking story now has a very heartwarming update: he has found a new home!
On December 4, Paris Animal Welfare Society shared photos of Lynch with his new mom, revealing that he has officially left the shelter. Lynch’s weight has been slowly improving: he currently weighs 42.9 pounds, and will continue his weight gain journey in his new home.
“After careful consideration and speaking with our veterinarian, we decided there was no reason our boy couldn’t go to his forever family to continue gaining weight versus being in the shelter. We had a tremendous amount of support and love and interest in adopting him. If you weren’t chosen for Lynch, please know we had so many wonderful applicants!”
After so many heartbreaking false starts, it seems that Lynch has finally found a home that will love him forever. “He will only know love now! He is the best, distinguished, gentleman!” Lynch’s new mom wrote in a Facebook comment.
Lynch’s story was heartbreaking, but we’re so glad that he has found a new home! We are sure this time it’s for real and Lynch will finally get the love he deserves.
Please share this story! ❤️
