'Please love me': Lilo the dog reunited with homeless owner who left her with heartbreaking note
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: A homeless woman was reunited with her beloved dog after a compassionate animal shelter found the pooch left with a note from the owner saying she couldn't afford to keep her.
Staff members at the McKamey Animal Center (MAC) in Chattanooga worked together to reunite the woman with the canine named Lilo after she gave her up while battling homelessness. Lilo was reportedly found wandering around the city with a note attached to her collar. A Good Samaritan subsequently brought the pup to the shelter, which later posted a picture of her along with a photo of the note found on her.
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"Please keep my name. My name is Lilo," the note read per a Facebook post by MAC. "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." The note added, "She really loves me, and I'm a great dog and loved to be loved on. Please don't abuse me."
MAC penned its own note on Facebook directed to "Lilo's mom" in hopes of reaching the pup'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. "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."
It wasn't long before the shelter updated the post saying the owner had been found. MAC shared another post on January 25 with 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 center shared in the post.
In conclusion, MAC urged animal lovers to consider adopting a rescue pet and shared ways pet owners can pay it forward and help other humans. "We want Chattanooga to be a community where pets are truly family, not just for the economically privileged, but for everyone," the shelter wrote in its January 24 post. "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," they added.