McKamey Animal Center shared a message on Facebook reaching out to the dog’s owner, after the canine was found with a note, and is now helping the pet parent and her family.
A Tennessee animal shelter reunited an abandoned dog named Lilo with her homeless owner. Pictured: the dog Lilo and her unidentified owner
A Tennessee animal shelter reunited a homeless woman with her beloved dog, Lilo, after the rescue found the canine left with a note from the owner saying she couldn’t afford to keep her.
According to a Jan. 24 Facebook post from McKamey Animal Center (MAC), Lilo was found wandering around Chattanooga with a note attached to her collar by a Good Samaritan, who brought the pup to the shelter.
“Please keep my name. My name is Lilo,” read the note attached to Lilo’s collar, according to the McKamey Animal Center’s post, which also included a photo of the dog. “Please love me. My mom can’t keep me and is homeless with 2 kids. She tried her best but can’t get help. I cost too much for her.”
“She really loves me, and I’m a great dog and loved to be loved on,” the note continued, adding, “Please don’t abuse me.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(702x0:704x2):format(webp)/lilo-dog-rescued-012523-3-00653df5c78a4b9289b2af1a71498693.jpg)
MCKAMEY ANIMAL CENTER
In its Facebook post about the situation, MAC wrote its own note, directed “to Lilo’s mom,” hoping to reach the dog’s owner.
“We want you to know she is safe, and we will take the very best care of her. She will be loved by our staff and volunteers, we will keep her name, and we promise you we will do our best to find her a wonderful new home. But if you are reading this, we hope you will come forward to reclaim her,” the shelter wrote to Lilo’s mom.
“We will help you with whatever you need to care for her, to the best of our ability. Lilo definitely misses you, and we would like nothing more than to see her go back to the family she loves. Either way, please know that we understand, we will not judge, and we are here to help in any way we can,” the McKamey Animal Center added.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/lilo-dog-rescued-012523-2-c2ff7282ea584eec83289ddb2162f1d9.jpg)
MCKAMEY ANIMAL CENTER
Not long after compassionate messages started pouring in for Lilo’s mom, the shelter updated the post saying the owner had been found.
In a social media post on Jan. 25, the McKamey Animal Center shared a photo of Lilo and her owner embracing.
“While we can’t share a lot of the details with you yet, we are actively working with the family to set them up with a safe haven, shelter, and resources to stay together and tackle homelessness. We are thankful for everyone who has advocated for the family, and shared our post. We are amazed at the outpouring of support. It truly takes a community, and you all have certainly shown us how powerful ours is — thank you so much,” the shelter added in the post.
MAC closed the post by encouraging animal lovers moved by the story of Lilo and her owner to consider adopting a rescue pet. The shelter also shared ways pet owners can pay it forward and help other humans.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“We want Chattanooga to be a community where pets are truly family, not just for the economically privileged, but for everyone. That means reaching out a hand of support to your neighbors, donating to emergency care funds like MAC’s Angel Fund, spreading the word about low-cost and free services, and supporting the lifesaving work MAC and other local organizations are doing every day,” the shelter wrote in its Jan. 24 post, before reminding followers that MAC is dedicated to providing resources to any person or pet who needs them.
Source: people.com
