Woman Spots Injured Dog Abandoned Near Her Home—Instantly Knows What to Do
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Texas resident was horrified by the sight of an injured dog who was abandoned in her neighborhood, and she immediately took action to try and find him a home.
On April 23, Danielle Huset spotted the large dog wandering around the street near her home in Atascocita, Houston. It was immediately noticeable that he was limping, looked malnourished, and was wet from the rain in recent days.
Huset, 25, told Newsweek that she was "really concerned and upset" at the sight of him, and knew she wanted to help. At first, she found herself questioning where his family was, or sadly, if he even had one at all.
"He was scared but curious," Huset said. "I could tell he was looking for help because he was so malnourished, hurt, and wet from the rain."
As soon as she found the abandoned dog, Huset set to work on trying to reunite him with his owners, or ultimately to find him a new family.
Buddy the abandoned dog, who was spotted in the flowerbeds by Danielle Huset on April 23.
Buddy the abandoned dog, who was spotted in the flowerbeds by Danielle Huset on April 23.
@daniellehuset / TikTok
She posted about him online, on Facebook groups for missing dogs, knocked on doors in the area, and made flyers to spread the word. It's unclear how long the dog, that Huset nicknamed Buddy, had been wandering around for, but a neighbor spotted him a few days prior.
"After posting him on missing dog groups, I had a few people reach out willing to help. One being a woman who knows a lot about strays and has connections, and she was able to get in touch with rescues and fosters," Huset continued.
That night, Huset sat outside with Buddy for hours and provided him with food and water. She left her garage door open in case he wanted to come inside, but he spent most of the time laying on the grass or the flowerbed.
To maximize her reach, Huset also shared a video of Buddy on TikTok (@daniellehuset) that showed him wandering around aimlessly after being "dumped" in the area. To her surprise, the video went viral with over 246,200 views and more than 40,400 likes at the time of writing.
By the next morning, Buddy wandered off and Huset learned that he was picked up by someone else who dropped him off at the shelter.
If he still hadn't been fostered (or adopted) by April 27, Huset planned to foster Buddy along with another woman who offered to help. But that wasn't necessary, because when Huset arrived to take Buddy home, she learned that he'd been selected by Long Way Home Adoptables, a no kill rescue who were going to relocate Buddy and find him a temporary home.
Huset has continued sharing videos of Buddy's journey on TikTok, including a video of him leaving the shelter with his new foster family.
Huset told Newsweek: "He's doing well now with his foster parent. We've learned he works well with other dogs and children. He's a bit skittish around men so I'm not sure if he was abused by one at some point. We are still looking for a permanent adoption for him.
"If anyone in the Houston area is looking for the perfect dog, please contact Long Way Home Adoptables as they make the world a better place and rely solely on donations," she continued.
After sharing Buddy's story online, Huset has been blown away by the response. It's allowed her to connect with so many people on TikTok and she hopes all this attention will help Buddy find a forever home.
"It's a really sad story but we all worked hard to give him a happy ending," Huset said. "I wasn't anticipating him to go viral, but I feel blessed that he did because it opened more doors to find him a safe place to go."
Internet users were left in tears by the viral TikTok video showing Buddy after he was abandoned, leading to more than 1,400 comments so far. While many were devastated by his abandonment, others offered Huset some welcome advice and support.
One comment reads: "Omg this is heartbreaking I would love to take this baby I don't live in Houston."
Another TikTok user wrote: "I pray somebody helps this puppy. He looks like such a sweet soul."
Another person added: "Sweet baby, praying that you find him a home, and thanks for helping."
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