Last Friday, Kai the dog was left alone at Scotland’s Ayr railway station, complete with a suitcase of all his worldly doggie possessions. The fuzzy, smiley Shar Pei mix was discovered outside the station, tied to a railing. He was left with things like a pillow, toy, dog bowl, and food, but his human was nowhere to be found. He’s currently safely in the care of the Scottish SPCA, but the image of the dog all by himself at a busy station is heartbreaking. Does Kai understand what’s going on? Does he think he did something to deserve this abandonment?
SPCA Inspector Stewart Taylor told People that Kai is 2-3 years old and “is a lovely dog with a nice nature.” The SPCA is currently on the search for a forever home for Kai and trying to find the scum who abandoned him: “Regardless of the fact Kai was left with his belongings, this was still a cruel incident and we are keen to identify the person responsible.” Kai was microchipped, which is how authorities were able to find his name, but he’s registered to a family that sold him in 2013, and they’re unsure of the identity of his current owner. Kai was sold on Gumtree, a classified ad site. Since that’s not exactly the most ideal or reputable place to buy a pet, Kai may have been an impulse buy by someone who didn’t consider the real responsibilities of caring for him. Even if that person felt they couldn’t provide Kai with a home anymore, what the hell stopped them from putting in the mild level of effort of placing him with a new family or simply dropping him off at an animal shelter? I cannot fathom consciously packing a pet’s things in a suitcase and then walking away from this scared animal who depended on me to take care of him. Animals love so unconditionally, and to punish them for that by bailing on them is just awful. Abandoning an animal is illegal in Scotland. If and when authorities find Kai’s former owner, he or she will likely be banned from having animals, possibly for life.
This situation is almost less devastating for Kai than it is for the thousands of other pets who are abandoned each year. Kai’s received international attention and will surely have families lining up to adopt him, but what about the animals whose horrible stories go unnoticed, without press coverage? It’s crushing to think about. If you think you’d be able to give Kai a good forever home, also consider the other loving critters in your area who need owners. If you have any information about Kai, give a call to the Animal Helpline in Scotland at 03000 999 9999 or email info@scottishspca.org.
[Image via Scottish SPCA] [People] [Guardian UK]Original by Claire Hannum
