‘Breaks our hearts’: Dog abandoned outside shelter in freezing temperatures

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU/Gray News) - Workers at an animal shelter in Wisconsin say they arrived at work to find a dog tied to the front door.

According to the Eau Claire County Humane Association, the dog was found abandoned and tied to the door early Thursday morning.

“Some mornings aren’t very happy at the shelter,” the county shelter shared on its social media. “We came in to find a sweet boy tied to our front door.”

According to the animal shelter, the dog named Gus was left behind after a person drove up to the building and tied him to the door. Representatives with the shelter said the person took off in less than a minute.

“The dog had no idea what was going on, and you can see that he wanted to go,” the shelter shared. “It breaks our hearts.”

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the area were as low as 9 degrees during the overnight hours.

The Eau Claire County Humane Association said that the dog’s owner eventually came forward to officially surrender the dog after it shared the details of what happened.

The animal shelter thanked the owner for doing the right thing. It said the team can now adopt Gus out as soon as he is cleared by a veterinarian, avoiding a legal stray hold as mandated by statute.

The shelter team said anyone interested in adopting Gus or any other animal can go online.

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