Abandoned?

[Leslie and Halas]

A girl-at-work's step-daughter just came into work with a cute little white fluff ball of a dog.  She found him in a grocery store parking lot, in a shopping cart, with a plastic grocery bag of dog food. 

Here he is.  He's probably around 10 lbs or so.  We're thinking possibly a maltese or poodle mix.

He was a little scared at first, but then his tail was wagging and he was saying hi to everyone.  He smells good, like he's been recently groomed, but he has a lot of eye boogers and red fur around his eyes.  He's also a little skinny.  He is not neutered.

 

Based on how she found him, it seems like he was abandoned.  There's a Pet Supplies Plus store right there, but if you were one of their customers, why would you leave your dog alone in the parking lot?  He wasn't near a car.  The bag of food wasn't a new bag - it was just some dog food in a plastic grocery bag.  We also have a no-kill animal shelter, so why not take him there?  Sometimes, they are full, so maybe they did try.

 

He's on his way to my vet now to get scanned for a microchip. 

 

I just don't know what to make of it.  Some things point to abandonment, but the fact that he's clean and very friendly don't really support that.

 

I'll probably end up trying to talk my mom into taking him if he's not chipped, but I'm still worried that someone is missing him.

 

Oh, there's also a retirement home behind this shopping center, and I think they are allowed to have small dogs.  So maybe he belongs or belonged to someone from there.

 

[Leslie and Halas]

He wasn't this fluffy when they found him.  It's kind of cold and miserable here, and it's been raining or drizzling off and on since last night, so she took him home and blow dried him to warm him up a little.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

How cute!!!!  I'm guessing the fact that the bag of dog food was there - is the big tip off to him being ditched.  I hope your mom gets him, we are crossing our paws!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with Jane...left with an opened bag of food near a pet supply store equals abandoned to me. Poor guy, I'm glad he fell into the right hands and will be safe, one way or another.

[Leslie and Halas]

The vet said he is not microchipped, and he is a puppy.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dollars to doughnuts some young person bought him in a pet store and a roommate or parent said "no dog".

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

OR...some idiot let their dog have puppies, and this is one they didn't sell.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

What an adorable little guy! He must have been so scared all alone in that cart!! Thanks for everyone who has helped with his rescue!!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I would have to agree with the idea of him being left because of the bag of food.  It sounds like someone wanted to make sure he went to someone that loved dogs - what better place than a Pets Mart parking lot (ok so maybe I can think of many more safer places but it is really hard to get a lot of shelters and rescues to take a dog).  Maybe it was someone from the retirement home that could not afford to care for him and maybe couldn't drive and being so close thought it was an option to leave him there.  He looks EXACTLY like my next door neighbors dog and he is a bichon poodle mix and he looks to be the same size.

How sad :-(  He is very lucky to have been saved and not hit by a car.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thank you to everyone who is helping this dog. I bet he was a scared little guy all alone in that cart. Keep us updated.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

He is ADORABLE.  Thank you for helping him.  I think he was abandoned. I just imagine my two dogs being left alone. They would freak out. They freak out when I go out of town.  It makes me sick and I will never never understand how people can just abandon their pets, no matter the situation.  Isn't there always some sort of alternative?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It definitely sounds like he was abandoned....another poor puppy.  He is so darn cute....I sure hope he can be with your Mom.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

He would be perfect for my secretary...she recently lost her wheaten and is looking for any smaller dog to rescue. If you were closer and your mom didn't want him, she'd be all over him. She's a good doggy mommy.