Dog abandoned with "I need a home" scrawled on it
Owner later comes forward to claim her
The owner of a dog which was abandoned on July 3 with the words "free" and "I need a home" scribbled on its fur in black marker has come forward to claim it - almost a week later.
According to NBC Bay Area, a woman from Yolo County which is a different town in California, turned up at the Benicia Police Department on July 9. She provided proof of her ownership.
The dog first got into the news when Miss Shannon Bettencourt found it while on her way home after her shift at a local bar.
That's when she made the shocking discovery, reported NBC Bay area news.
She and her fiance Mr Chris Franco decided to take the visibly frightened dog home.
Is this your pooch?
After futile attempts to search for the dog owner on Facebook, they decided to keep the pooch.
It was only after the news of how the pooch was found made headline news that the owner rushed down to stake her ownership.
The unidentified woman told local police that the dog had apparently somehow escaped her yard. She had no idea how her pet ended up in a town that is almost 100 km away.
NBC reported that the police do not suspect that the woman has anything to do with the dog's abandonment.
With plans for the dog to return home, it looks like Miss Bettencourt's plans to adopt the dog will have to be abandoned.
Source: NBC Bay Area, Facebook
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now