A female pup that was found standing by a tree in Benicia, California, with the words ‘free’ scrawled across its side and ‘I need a home’ on her head with permanent marker has been claimed.
The owner of the dog, who was discovered on July 3rd, explained that she didn’t know what had happened to her pooch after it had escaped from her back garden.
Shannon Bettencourt, who picked up the lonely dog, told NBC that the animal was “scared, shaking and kind of whimpering”.
“I was heartbroken, it was really sad. Nobody wants to see an animal like that ever,” she added.
Along with her fiancé, Bettencourt made several attempts to locate the dog’s owner and after failing they made the decision to keep her, calling their new four-legged friend Libby.
However their new extended family was short lived, on Wednesday a woman from Yolo County claimed ownership, providing necessary documentation to prove it.
The lady explained to authorities that the dog had escaped and she had no idea how it arrived in the town of Benicia.
According the The Independent, police warned that the owner may possibly face charges of abandonment but admit they believe that the owner did not play a role in the animal’s mistreatment.
