An Arizona dog was abandoned with a heartbreaking note. See what it said and how to help

“Found dog, heart breaking note, no idea what to do.”

That’s what Reddit user @freeagent291 posted on the thread r/DogAdvice on Saturday, March 8.

The Phoenix user wrote that they had found the dog with a note that said the dog’s name is Bella. It went on to give all the information someone would need to care for the released dog, like how she is trained to use a diaper pad or an old towel laid down in a bathroom.

“My former owner was invalid and could not take me for walks,” the note read. “I will do business outside, it’s just that I don’t ‘signal’ you to go. If you walk me twice a day, you’ll see. I do leave occasional ‘gifts’ on the carpet.”

The note continues to say that Bella barks when the door knocks and when people enter the house, including people she knows. Sometimes, she is not easy to quiet down.

Bella also likes dry and canned dog food, but will also eat cat food, both dry and canned, the note went on. She gets along with cats if they get along with her, but if they challenge her, she will defend herself.

“I listen fairly well OFF leash, but I will want to approach any dog I see in order to make a friend,” the note said. “Most people, too. IF you yell at me firmly, I will mostly heed your command.”

In the comments, the user who posted the thread said they have a dog of their own and live in an apartment, so they won’t be able to keep her. They have also posted in Facebook groups and plan to visit a no-kill shelter on Monday, March 10. They’re located in Phoenix and are looking for any leads on help.

Here’s what you can do if you find an abandoned or lost dog or if you can’t take care of your dog.

What do you do if you find a lost dog?

According to the Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, if you have found a pet, there are some steps you can take to help reunite them with their owner:

1. Check for a microchip. Any veterinarian, including an emergency vet, will scan a found pet for free as well as local MCACC shelters. You do not have to turn the pet in, but can begin the process of documenting the pet as found. If a microchip is detected, ask for the microchip number as they contact the owner – if they are unable to provide the chip number to you, ask the scanning facility to call 602-506-7387.
2. Report the found pet. Register the found pet with Petco Love Lost. The owner can view potential matches using facial recognition technology. Lost/stray cats are not impounded but can still be helped through Petco.
3. Call the authorities. The Arizona Humane Society accepts all stray animals who are sick, injured, or abused. If the pet has a Maricopa County tag, you can call 602-506-PETS — if they are not, you can contact the appropriate agency.
4. Spread the word. Hang signs or flyers in the area where you found the pet and include the pet’s photo, description and your contact number. Maricopa County has an example flyer. You should also spread the word online, check Facebook for local pages about lost/found pets in the area.
5. Schedule a stray dog intake appointment. The MCACC has reinstated a managed intake process for stray dogs by requiring an appointment. You can book an appointment at the West Shelter at 2500 S 27th Ave, Phoenix or the East Shelter at 1920 S Lewis, Mesa – these are for lost pets only. If a found pet is ill or injured, contact the Arizona Humane Society at 602-997-7585 or online at their Report an Injured Stray page, if the dog has bitten and broken skin on a person in the past 10 days, call 602-506-7387 for instructions.

What to do if you can’t take care of your dog?

If you cannot take care of your dog or pet, there are other alternatives than letting them go.

The Arizona Humane Society accepts all stray animals who are sick, injured or abused. You can contact them directly at 602-997-7585.

If you need to make an appointment to surrender your own dog, you can make an appointment for a managed intake process.

If you would like to rehome your pet, you can check out Pet Housing Help AZ or contact the diversion team to help find resources to keep your pet.

10 underrated things about AZ: These are the most underrated things about Arizona, from food and weather to the power grid

Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Bluesky @dinakaur.bsky.social.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.