Anger Over Why Owner Dumped Dog at Shelter to Be Euthanized: 'Good Grief'

A dog in Texas has been left facing an uncertain fate after her owner dropped her at a local shelter and requested that the canine be euthanized all because they were moving to a different house.

Dropped at the local Fort Worth shelter, the 5-year-old bulldog and French Bulldog mix named Eve was surrendered by her owner on Wednesday. Now, the dog is in the care of Lone Star Dog Ranch & Dog Ranch Rescue, a cage-free boarding facility 30 minutes out of Dallas.

Staff at the shelter reached out to Lone Star, requesting that they take Eve into their care. Lone Star then sprang into action.

"We haven't had her for even 24 hours, so it is too soon to know what kind of home is going to be needed for her. Her name was Eve and we are keeping that," the rescue told Newsweek. "We will take good care of her, no need to euthanize, good grief."

Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to shelters in the United States, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet 'Shelter Watch Report' found. Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

This year, animal shelters in the U.S. have faced a crisis of overcrowding as high intake rates are not met by demand for fostering and adoption.

Rising cost of living and economic downturn have been cited as reasons for some giving up their pets, while others reference the boom in pet adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has since led to shelters filling back up after the easing of lockdowns in 2021.

"The messages that we're getting are awful...The sheltering sector is under an enormous amount of stress," Jessica Gercke, communications director at Helen Woodward Animal Center, told Newsweek just weeks ago.

With very little information about her personality, it is impossible for Lone Star Dog Ranch & Dog Ranch Rescue to begin to look at a home for Eve, but hope to spend time with her and develop an understanding of her perfect forever home.

Meanwhile, the rescue shared Eve's story to its Facebook page where people have been outraged and shared their frustration at the situation.

"Terrible people!" one commenter wrote, while another added: "I will never understand why somebody gets a pet, to just discard it like it was nothing when they get old."

"Glad they were able to save her," another commenter wrote, while another Facebook user agreed and wrote: "So glad you have her."