It is so heartbreaking when people abandon their pets. To your dog, you are their whole world. So when you’re gone, everything has been taken away from them.

Sometimes when this happens, it is because the family just had a baby or they simply no longer have the time or patience to care for their pet.

A pet is a lifelong commitment, however, and abandoning them is inexcusable.

Even if extenuating circumstances, such as a medical issue, prevent someone from being able to care for their pet any longer, there are ways to go about finding a safe new home for them.

Rescuers often don’t even know the names of dogs they discover.

Often times when rescuers come across an abandoned animal, they don’t even know what their name is. Other times, however, the abandoning people at least leave a note and explain a little about the animal’s needs.

Discovering Duke.

This is the story of a dog named Duke. He is a 2-year-old bulldog found tied to a tree in a Baltimore park.

When he was found, no one was too sure just how long he had been left there.

Duke was discovered by a local resident while he was walking his dog. The man’s wife, Leslie Bray, would later tell media that there was a note attached to Duke.

“My name is Duke. Here’s my favorite toy and my food. I am looking for a new home,” the note read.

That’s all Duke’s former family cared to do for him as they left him in the cold with nowhere to go.

Stephanie Dagenhart posted some photos of Duke to social media and expressed how disappointed she was that someone would treat a dog this way.

The temperature was dropping below freezing, and Duke had no place to get warm.

“I think he was really scared, really cold,” said Stephanie to Baltimore WMAR-2 News.. “I did not want to leave his side. I just felt my heart drop.”

Stephanie sat with Duke while they waited for a rescue team to arrive. Meanwhile, her post about the situation started to gain attention on social media.

“I couldn’t imagine the frustration or the anger that someone would have to put a dog on a tree and tie it up like that,” one person commented. “I guess they got the reaction or what they were looking for.”

Community comes to the rescue.

Local residents who saw the social media posts about Duke came out to help. They brought blankets, toys, and treats for the cold and scared dog.

Not only that, some had already expressed an interest in adopting him.

The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) stressed to local residents that if they are no longer able to care for a pet, the best thing to do is drop them off at a shelter.

“As always, our message to the community is that BARCS is an open admission shelter,” said BARCS spokeswoman Bailey Deacon. “We accept animals without judgment and we are here to help pet owners in crisis. If ever you can’t keep your pet, you can bring them right down to the shelter.”

BARCS took Duke in and began the process of looking for a forever home for him. They ended up finding someone who will never abandon him.

Duke was later adopted by U.S. Army Specialist Wallace White. Now Duke has the family he deserves, and White has a loving new companion.

Learn more about Duke’s heartwarming journey in the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: WMAR-2 News/CBS Local