Senior Dog Tied to Sled, Dumped Outside NY Shelter with Heartbreaking Note

When rescuers at the Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association arrived at the Canastota, New York shelter on Monday morning, they found a senior Great Pyrenees tied to a plastic sled and abandoned with a heartbreaking note that simply read, “over 10 yrs old, can no longer walk.”

Shelter staff named the sweet boy ‘Perry’ and immediately sought veterinary care for the senior boy.

Shelter staff posted photos of him to Facebook, hoping someone would recognize him. “If anyone recognizes this dog please get in touch with us ASAP. He was left outside of our shelter at some point throughout the night tied down to the sled. The note left with him states: “Over 10 yrs old. Can no longer walk.” This is abandonment. If you can no longer care for your pet for any reason, give us a call and we can either directly help you or give you resources. Abandoning them is not the answer and will never be acceptable, especially one that can no longer walk.”

The shelter added that, while they are not happy with how Perry was abandoned, they hope everyone can view the incident as an educational event.

“We do not know the situation of the individual that left this dog. If you need help with your pet we are always here to help in one way or another… even if we can’t take it directly from you we can help provide other options. Leaving a pet tied up outside leaves them susceptible to being injured by a multitude of things. We are a shelter, and while we will do everything in our power to help every animal that walks through our doors, we do not have unlimited resources. We do not have a vet on staff. We rely on donations. We can only hope that everyone who is in a situation where they feel they need to drop their pet off somewhere will call all of their local shelters/rescues and veterinary hospitals to look for other safer options first. We are blessed by the amount of support we are receiving from our community and together we will help this dog.”

In a later post, WHRA shared words of gratitude for all who have donated via PayPal to cover Perry’s veterinary and care expenses.

Veterinarians found Perry had contracted at least two tick-borne illnesses and was living with a severe skin infection. After beginning treatment and providing pain relief, the senior dog began showing signs of improvement, even beginning to walk with assistance.

Additional tests and x-rays will reveal any further illness or injury. Wanderers’ Rest vows to provide the best possible care to preserve Perry’s quality of life. At this time, the shelter is not accepting applications to adopt, but will update interested adopters if and when he becomes available.