Stark Message to Owner Who Dumped Dog Outside Walmart: 'Didn't Deserve Him'

An animal shelter volunteer has sent a stark message to the owner of a rescue dog who was found abandoned outside a Walmart. Shelter volunteer Julie Saraceno took to TikTok to introduce followers to Value the shepherd husky mix who currently resides at Adams County Pet Rescue in Othello, Washington, having been left to fend for himself in the parking lot of a branch of the popular department store. Saraceno shared a clip of Value staring at her from behind the door of his enclosure, appearing confused and desperate for attention. In an on-screen caption, Saraceno also sent a message to whoever left Value out in the cold. "To the people who abandoned Value at Walmart," she wrote. "You didn't deserve him in the first place." Saraceno told Newsweek she was introduced to Value a month ago by an employee at the Adams County Pet Rescue, who explained that the rescue dog's name was "because of where he was found." "He is just one of many dogs there that were found abandoned," she said. "It's heartbreaking to me that so many of the dogs there haven't received the love and the families that they truly deserve."

Despite the best efforts of staff and volunteers at shelters like this, the stark reality is that shelter dogs have a small window of time in which to impress a prospective owner. A 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science estimated that the average person looking to adopt requested to interact with just one dog per shelter visit. These one-on-one interactions were also found to last just eight minutes on average. Saraceno said Value needs to be adopted by someone who is "familiar" with German shepherds and huskies and equipped for the challenges that come with caring for these breeds. "They can be very high energy," she said. "The person who adopts Value needs to be up for training so they can be the best dog they can be."

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However, Value's situation is further complicated by the situation Adams County Pet Rescue is facing. According to Saraceno, the shelter is "struggling financially" and "in danger of having to close down." An online fundraiser has already been launched with an initial target of $100,000. "We are overworked and continuously stressed not only about more and more animals needing help but about the economic side of operating a pet rescue," Andy Greenawalt, the fundraiser's organizer, said. "We want to give up, it's exhausting on every person involved due to not knowing if we can continue. We look at all of the good we do but there comes a point where we can't do anything without funding." Greenawalt estimates the shelter needs $200,000 "to make payroll and expenses just through the end of the year." Eager to shine a light on the work of the shelter, Saraceno began sharing videos and stories of the dogs currently residing at Adams County Pet Rescue. "I wanted to help them to raise awareness of their shelter to increase adoptions, but also to help them to fundraise so they can stay open," she said. "They are so needed in that area!" Without the shelter Value and many other animals in similar situations face a frightening and uncertain future. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.