Huskies Left Behind After Owners Moved Out Now Seek a Forever Home

A heartbreaking story of abandonment online has underscored the immense responsibility of pet ownership.

The Humane Society of Richland County took to Facebook to share a story that has both infuriated and touched the hearts of many: two huskies were left behind by their owners who had moved out of their residence. While the pups are now in safe hands, the story left Facebook users beside themselves considering who would abandon their dogs without putting a plan of care in place.

The shelter’s Facebook post, which detailed the rescue, read: “When people move out and leave their animals behind. Our humane agents just removed two young, beautiful huskies from a residence after the owners moved out and left them behind. Yes, we are filing charges.”

The post included a photo of one of the huskies, a male, receiving affectionate scratches from humane agent Aleigha, who was enjoying “kisses of gratitude from the boy of this beautiful duo.”

The organization ended its message with a plea to the public: “Please stop getting animals if you’re not going to commit to a lifetime of care for them. It’s getting really old.”

A Common and Heartbreaking Story

The post resonated with countless people, many of whom shared their own stories of witnessing or experiencing similar acts of cruelty.

“Some people are unbelievable,” one user commented, sharing a personal anecdote of their commitment to their own dogs. “I worried what would happen if I became homeless with my three dogs. I pack just my clothes, so I had room in car for dogs. I drove 800 miles to make sure we stayed together. Thank God for family.”

Others simply couldn’t comprehend how someone could abandon a pet.

“I can’t understand how anyone could do that,” another wrote. “My dogs have always been family. I thought long and hard before getting mine, looked up the breed, seen how big they could get and what medical issues this breed may have.”

“Would’ve thought nobody was that mean … until we got our Buddy!” a commenter shared. “Apartment dwellers were evicted and snuck out in the middle of the night … leaving behind this adorable baby! Well … he’s ours now and loved so much!”

The severity of such actions was highlighted by another user who shared a deeply disturbing story from a family member.

“My brother found a little dog in the closet left behind from tenants that skipped out on rent. He could barely hear it and thought it was probably nothing,” they wrote. “Was about to leave but decided to check. And there it was out of breath, no water, no food and tied up in the closet! What horrible monsters do this.” This commenter’s brother took the dog home, and the pup “gave my mom several years.”

Hope for the Future

Despite the outrage, the dominant sentiment in the comments was relief and optimism for the two abandoned huskies.

“So happy they’re safe now,” one person said, while another felt the same sense of gratitude that the dogs were found in time. “Thank God they were found and saved on time. Those poor babies.”

The Humane Society of Richland County’s post serves as a reminder of the commitment required to care for pets. While the story of these two abandoned huskies is heartbreaking, it is tempered by the comfort of knowing they are now safe, well-cared for and will be given a chance at a new life with a family who will truly cherish them.

Newsweek reached out to The Humane Society of Richland County for comment via email.