Someone pushed a dog out of their vehicle and left the pet alone on a street in Arizona, according to footage of the heartbreaking incident.
In a video shared on Facebook, a red SUV quickly approaches a dead-end street and makes a U-turn. The car then slows down, and its back door opens. A small dog is let out of the SUV and left in the street. A voice from the car says, “Bye-bye,” as someone closes the car door. The vehicle then takes off while the pup tries to follow behind it.
Moments later, the dog returns to the end of the street and approaches a kind stranger.
According to the timestamp on the surveillance video, the incident occurred on Saturday, March 8, around 12:16 p.m. local time.
Tricia Skubic-Swesey, whose home surveillance camera captured footage of the incident, wrote in the caption, “The dog is contained with a neighbor.” She added that Animal Control picked up the pup and that law enforcement knew about the abandonment.
Per Arizona Family, Joanna Buesen found the black-and-white pup post-dumping during an afternoon stroll in the neighborhood. In an interview, she opened up about the emotional experience, saying, “I was angered. I was flabbergasted, shocked. Just so many emotions.”
The good Samaritan said the dog was malnourished when she found him. She also criticized the owners for their behavior, particularly the cruel “bye-bye” captured in the video.
“I think that they had no remorse for their actions, and I think that is the telltale that it is malicious intent,” Buesen said. “I understand things are hard and things can be tough in life, but you don’t have to be a soulless human. And that is just a soulless thing.”
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In another interview with Fox 10, Buesen said she carried the abandoned pup to her home and fed it.
The news outlet added that the Surprise Police Department is looking for the person responsible for abandoning the sweet dog. The agency has obtained a video of the car with its license plate clearly visible. “The video posted on social media has led to numerous tips that our investigators are following up on,” police told Fox 10.
The dog is reportedly being held at Surprise Animal Care and Control and will be released to the Arizona Humane Society, where he will be up for adoption.
In February, the Arizona Humane Society told the Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency Committee that it had seen a rise in calls related to animal cruelty, per KTAR-FM.
Tracey Miller, the organization’s director of field operations, said, “Animal cruelty in the state of Arizona is on the rise,” and advocated for updated animal cruelty laws in the state.
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