Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was stolen and dumped, but thanks to dog lover’s rescue she was heartwarmingly reunited with her family:‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Aug 8, 2026 12:15 PM EDT

It seems that no matter how much you might hope that doggo rescues would become simpler and less common over time, the opposite keeps proving itself to be true. This is a tale of canine rescue so convoluted and complicated it is a wonder how this pup made it home in the end.

Dog rescues are often quite the complicated affair just as they are. First the initial physical rescue can entail a whole bunch of procedures. You could expect to deal with anything from having the patience to deal with a dog who does not yet trust you, to having the courage to care for a canine who has been injured badly. Either way you will have to summon your strongest powers just to get past the first phase. Then you move into the 'What next?' territory. Here you have to decide, do you take the dog home? Do you take the dog to the shelter? A tough decision either way, each with their own implications. And finally you have to make the choice of how to search for their pawrents and what you will do if they are not found.

So you can imagine that a dog who has been initially lost thanks to a cheeky canine sibling, who then got picked up and stolen for her pedigree traits. Who is then later dumped when it is clear the dog is off no use to the dognappers, and finally found by a dog lover who could not bear the idea of leaving the lovely dog she had just seen being dumped on the side of the road. Love led this rescue mission and when it does, things often go much smoother than you might expect. As it did for this doggo and her heroic rescuer. 
 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    "The longer I spend with her the more obvious it is she has been someone's pampered pet." DUMPED
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’

    Small white fluffy dog smiling sitting in car

    Dog depicted by model

  • 02
    I literally saw this little dog get abandoned today. I was much further down the road when I saw a van stop open the door and put something out on the road. It then drove off. I assumed it
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 03
    was trash, which was bad enough but as I got closer I could see it was this little dog. I stopped my car opened the door whistled and the dog came and jumped in.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 04
    I got it checked for a microchip which it didn't have and of course there was no collar. I've taken it home much to my two cats dismay. I have no idea if its a
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 05
    puppy or if this is its full size. Not sure if I am going to keep it or find it a good home. At the moment she can't seem to focus on anything but the cats.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 06
    She weighs all of six pounds and both cats are pretty much double her size.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’

  • Well, it is not often that we are lucky enough to get to such a happy and heartwarming moment in a canine rescue story this early on in the tail. After all, the drama and trauma that this poor pup has gone through to get her to this point in life must not have been easy at all. So it is rather delightful to see that she is still full of life, love and curiosity despite all that she has seen. Moreover it’s lovely to see people step up to help an animal in need. While it might even seem counter intuitive, giving a lost pup a place to crash, even temporarily, is better than passing them on to the pound. You give them a real home which a metal kennel simply cannot compare to.
     

  • 07
    UPDATE: for those who asked. She is doing ok. Getting ready to head to bed so will see how that goes. The longer I spend with her the more obvious it is she has been someone's pampered pet.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 08
    She is both house and leash trained but she refused any type of dog food. Only thing I could get here to eat was some chicken. Both she and then cats are currently coexisting but everyone is sleeping. I was just back
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 09
    on the local lost dogs site and while there are some responses no one claiming to be the owner. Mostly its just people telling me they want her if I don't. Would have been a piece of cake to re- home this dog. So the
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 10
    initial dump becomes even more questionable. I keep getting visions of a little old lady missing her companion.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 11
    Final update: I did find the owners. They were not the people who dumped the dog. The dog originally got out of their yard via a hole in the back fence. It was provided by the new Beagle puppy the family has.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’

  • Holy moly, so this story is actually a tale of sibling rivalry! The newcomer, not pleased with the incumbent canine child, decided to take action and arrange the dog’s ejection from the family. Hence, the suspiciously sized hole carved in the family fence which was pawfectly sized for a curious canine to pop through, thinking there was an easy way back. One can only wonder what kind of showdown is going to happen when these two doggos face off once again. 
     

  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10652928768
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 13
    She went missing in the early morning and was found by a neighbor. Who then posted a picture of her in the town's chat page on Facebook. He unfortunately was too trusting and gave the dog
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 14
    to the first person that claimed it. Which was not the owner. Meanwhile the owner posts pictures on the areas lost dogs page run by the County shelter.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 15
    This proceeds to cause an uproar across the towns Facebook pages. I think the people who took the dog either panicked or changed their mind when they found out she was 7 years old and spayed so she couldn't be bred. Then they dumped her.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 16
    I do not use Facebook and had contacted the shelter directly. They contacted me this morning and put me in touch with owner.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 17
    So the little girl was a 7 year old Yorkipoo named "Belle". The family have a 13 year old daughter and its really her dog. She has had it since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night. I suppose it was
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 18
    bad of me but I couldn't help but point out that if they had the dog chipped she would have been home yesterday afternoon. I felt a lot of sympathy for the
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 19
    teenager having once lost a most beloved pet that was never found. Anyway drama over kids ecstatic, Mom's relieved and Dad has some
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’
  • 20
    fencing work to do when he gets home from the deer lease. Oh, and my cats are celebrating.
    via Senior dog dumped like trash on roadside turns out to be lost dog who was then stolen and dumped, and after being saved by dog lover enjoys heartwarming reunion with family: ‘She has had the dog since she was 6 and she was a crying mess last night.’

Check out our Instagram for more hilarious animal content!

Love our stuff? Shop for some of our pawsome merch here.

Tags

heartwarming story stolen road trash heartwarming lost dog reunion reddit story saved senior dog family dog story dog lovers dumped thanks rescue
Scroll Down For The Next Article