Dog Saved After Owner Tried to Have Him Euthanized as He 'Barked at People'

People have been left stunned after a dog owner asked to have her pet put down "because he barks at people."

Patterdale terrier and Labrador cross Marcus is 2 years old and lived with his owner for just five weeks before he was abandoned.

"His owner asked me to take him on July 11 as he 'barked at other dogs and people when out,' and he needed to go," Lucie Holmes, owner of Lucie's Animal Rescue, told Newsweek.

Lucie's Animal Rescue is located in Thirsk, northern England, and cares for stray cats, dogs and other pets, alongside sick and injured wildlife. Self-funded and independent, the rescue relies wholly on donations.

When Holmes received the call about Marcus, the shelter was full. "I explained I was full, and that I would be in touch when I had room for him," she said. "Two-and-a-half hours later, I received a call from the local vets." Marcus' owner had taken him there to be euthanized.

"Thankfully, the vets refused," said Holmes. "I contacted the owner again and said I'd shuffle things round and somehow fit him in.

"I told her there was no need for his life to end just because he needed some time and training," Holmes added.

Marcus is sadly far from the only dog surrendered to a shelter by their owner. Earlier this week, Chloe Sue, a 16-year-old blind Chihuahua in Louisiana, was looking for a home after being given up by her owner. Meanwhile Lugnut, who is in a shelter in Florida, is still on the search for his forever home after being rescued from a hoarding situation.

When he came into the shelter, Marcus was very unsure. "He came to us very scared and nervous but, within an hour, was playing with the other dogs here and my children and settling in well," said Holmes.

Even more incredibly, Marcus has now been at the shelter for almost a week, and they are yet to experience the barking behavior that led to him being given up. "Five days in... and still no barking," said Holmes.

Currently under assessment, there have been plenty of applications from people interested in giving Marcus a fresh start at life.

Holmes shared Marcus' story with the hope that more people would understand the importance of commitment when it comes to pets.

In a Facebook post, she wrote: "Too many people are getting pets without any consideration to the time they need to adjust, and expecting them to be 'perfect companions' without actually putting anything into them.

"Take some responsibility and invest the time into them, you chose them to be part of your family. Stop destroying them just because you cannot be bothered to help them. It's not their fault," Holmes added.

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