'Afraid' Dog Alone for Days As Owners Moved Country and Left Her Behind

A dog was left abandoned outside the house she once called home after her family moved out of the country.

Lauren Anton, the founder of Saving Hope Rescue in Fort Worth, Texas, told Newsweek she was contacted by a "good Samaritan" who spotted Maura the sweet-natured Great Pyrenees "alone and afraid" in the yard outside the house.

"Maura was abandoned along with furniture and bags of new and old clothes and some tags on the front porch," Anton said. "The house's windows were broken. Her family moved back to Mexico and left her alone for at least 4 days."

This kind of abandonment can have a huge impact on the well-being of a dog. Studies have previously highlighted how the relationship between dog and owner shares notable similarities with that of parent and child.

A 2013 study published in the journal PLOS One established that, much like a parent, a dog owner plays a vital role in establishing a "secure base effect" that allows their canine to interact confidently with the environment around them.

Researchers reached that conclusion following an experiment in which a group of dogs were tasked with manipulating a toy in three specific scenarios: one where their owner was absent, one where they were present but silent and one where they offered encouragement. In each instance, if successful, the dog earned a food reward.

They found that the dogs were noticeably less keen on working for food when their human companion was absent. Though whether their owner encouraged them or remained silent was found to have little influence on their motivation, researchers noted that when their owner was replaced by a stranger during the task, they all but gave up playing with the toy and barely interacted with the stranger.

The study concluded that having the owner nearby was crucial to maintaining their confidence and instilling that "secure base effect."

Maura's abandonment will have likely dented her confidence and overall well-being with that secure base disappearing overnight. As Anton puts it, "Her entire world has just been flipped upside down."

Fortunately, one of Saving Hope Rescue's volunteers, McKenzie Smith, was able to come and pick up Maura who had been left to fend for herself outdoors with no food or water.

Anton said that based on her teeth, they estimate Maura to be around two years old. The next step is to help find someone to either foster or adopt Maura, while the shelter desperately needs donations. Sadly, Anton says stray and abandoned dogs are an issue across the state.

"We need help in Texas," she said. It's not a problem reserved for just Texas, though.

Each year, 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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.

But ultimately, to reduce these rates, they need people willing to help out. Anton is now hoping someone will "open their heart" and give Maura a chance. After such a horrifying few days, it's the least she deserves.

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