A 4-year-old Labrador retriever mix named Armando has found his forever home after being discovered abandoned with a touching note outside an Arizona shelter just before the holiday season.
On December 15, staff at the Arizona Humane Society's (AHS) Sunnyslope Campus found Armando tied up in the parking lot with an attached note explaining his situation. The heartfelt message revealed that his previous owners had to give him up due to "unforeseen circumstances," describing him as friendly with both people and animals.
After being discovered, Armando received medical care at the AHS trauma hospital for an ear infection, a condition mentioned in the note. Besides the infection, veterinarians found him to be in good health. While initially shy, shelter staff noted that Armando quickly warmed up to people, especially when treats and pets were involved.
The story has a happy ending, as Armando has now been adopted into a loving home where he has already bonded with his new canine sister. His new family reports that he has seamlessly integrated into their household, sharing the couch with his sister and enjoying playful games of tug of war in the backyard.
This case highlights a growing challenge in Arizona, where the AHS has seen a surge in pet care needs, treating over 22,000 animals in 2024 - their highest number in ten years. The organization attributes this increase to various factors, including population growth, rising housing costs, evictions, and limited access to affordable pet care, leading many pet owners to make the difficult decision to rehome their animals.
With shelters at capacity, healthy pets needing new homes due to housing changes or job losses often face limited options, resulting in more cases of pet abandonment.