Animal shelter issues heartbreaking plea after dog is abandoned by “selfish” owner at groomers

AN ANIMAL shelter has issued a heartbreaking plea to find the “selfish” owner of a pooch who was left abandoned at a dog groomers.

The Carlow/Kilkenny Dog Shelter in Paulstown, County Kilkenny in Ireland had the unnamed terrier handed over to them by Time to Paws groomers last Thursday after his owner went AWOL.

The dog, which was not microchipped, was left at the groomers by an unidentified man who claimed to “not own a phone” – but never returned to pick his pet up.

Gardaí officers have since warned that this is a common scam targeting groomers, with the dog having possibly been the victim of dognapping.

The pup’s plight was initially shared to social media by Carlow/Kilkenny Dog Shelter on Saturday in a post reading: “This poor little man was left in a groomers in South Kilkenny to be groomed but wasn’t collected.

“He came into our care yesterday, not microchipped. If you have any information on who might own this dog, please contact us on 0599726785. The owner of this dog claimed to not own a phone.”

With the hunt for the runaway owner still ongoing, the man has until tomorrow to show up, or the dog will be put up for adoption.

Time to Paws later shared their side of the story on Saturday, writing: “The man in question gave his contact details but could not be reached.

“We were left with no option but to contact Ferrybank Garda Station, who advised us accordingly.

“The following morning, we contacted the relevant authorities and had the dog scanned for a microchip but unfortunately, he was not chipped.

“We were advised that, by law, once 24 hours passed, we were obligated to report the matter to the local dog shelter, as the dog was now deemed as [having] been abandoned by the owner and possibly stolen.

“We did this with heavy hearts but please understand we had no choice. The lady from the dog shelter was absolutely amazing and thanked us for making contact.

“We would like to reassure everyone that this dog shelter does amazing work and is a ‘no kill’ shelter.

“If the owner does not come forward to them, the dog will be rehomed into a loving family.

“We cannot say too much on the matter, however the Gardaí did inform us that this is a scam targeting Groomers.

“Please understand, this is all we can say for now. Apologies for taking so long to post an update, I’m sure you can all understand we are very upset by this matter.

“Team Time to Paws.”

The devastating tale of abandonment left many users heartbroken by the situation, with several even requesting to adopt the pup.

Christine Lawlor wrote: “That is a cruel thing to do. People are getting so mean and selfish. The poor pet must be so unhappy, waiting for the owner to come back for him.”

Sonya O’Brien said: “Well, if his owners did that, he is better off without them. He needs a new family and one that cares where he will be spoiled.

“I hope he finds a new home soon. That was a horrible thing to do to the poor little man.”

Rita Ward commented: “This is so sad and devastating for this poor dog. I hope someone is able to give this gorgeous dog a loving forever home.”

Lisa Larkin O’Brien added: “Ah, the poor mite looks terrified. Most likely wondering where its owners are. How do people do this?

“At least they handed him into someone and didn’t just abandon [him] on the side of the road. Hope he gets a home with people that will love and cherish [him] the way he deserves.

“Breaks my heart as, after 11 years, we lost both our dogs within 14 weeks of each other through illness and nearly two years later, I’m still heartbroken.”

Carlow/Kilkenny Dog Shelter, Time to Paws and the Garda have been approached for comment.