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Abandoned dog's 3-year wait for owners ends with new home
The dog it seemed nobody wanted was flown hundreds of miles via private jet and finally found his forever home.
Wed, Nov 28 2012 at 4:38 PM
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Photo: 11Alive
An abandoned dog that waited three years for his owners to return has finally found a new home.
Chen the Chow was left behind when his owners deserted their Atlanta home, but he stuck around, sleeping in the carport and scavenging food scraps from a nearby grocery store.
Finally, after years of watching Chen wander the property, a neighbor told Lisa Renstrom of Chap’s Chow Rescue about the dog.
"He was waiting and waiting for his people to come home," Renstrom told 11 Alive News. "He absolutely would not leave that house. The people on either side would throw rocks and try to chase him away. He would not leave."
It took Renstrom a few weeks to gain Chen’s trust, but she won him over with kindness and food and took him to her dog rescue.
Healthy, happy and no longer alone, Chen was ready for his forever home, and Renstrom started looking. It didn’t take long.
Ben Rupp of Ohio saw Chen’s photo on Petfinder.com and felt a connection to the deserted dog. Chen reminded him of his Chow, Goldie, who had recently passed away after 13 years of companionship.
"His features are very similar to my old dog. The pictures and the story, it all came together,” Rupp told 11Alive.
Rupp called Renstrom and then booked a private jet and flew to Georgia, where Chen met him on the tarmac.
Although Renstrom had grown attached to Chen, she gave him a kiss goodbye and wished him well as he boarded the plane with Rupp.
"I hope he'll be happy," she said. "He deserves all the happiness."
Check out a video of Chen and his rescuers below:
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What crappy, miserable people they are, who would desert a dog like that. Even if you can't afford to keep him, get him to a shelter.
Those are my exact thoughts. You don't want him, fine, but bring him to a shelter, a NO KILL shelter. Let a loving family that deserves him adopt him.
All three of our dogs are rescues. The latest one we found in a parking lot. His owner could not be found. We kept him, enrolled him in obedience school and he is now a therapy dog.
NO reason in the world to just abandon a dog!! Even if the people "had" to leave, they could have just dropped him at a shelter, let someone know, ANYTHING...
all animals deserve a second chance......
what losers! leaving this beautiful dog behind! whats up with the neighbors?? waiting 3 years to ask for help, throwing rocks?? this is the south.......
How horrible that the neighbors who knew who the dog belonged to, decide to throw rocks at him, instead of feeding or taking the dog in. I'm sure they knew the name of the "owners". They should be arrested for abandonment. Those people will never find another human or animal as loyal as Chen.
I am so glad he is going to be okay.
i hate the thought of him being uncared for, for 3 years but i can't help thinking that if the neighbors had called animal control he might not have been given the chance to have a new life. if he was a scary dog animal control may not have had the volunteers to work with him and make him sociable. scared animal at animal control are usually the first ones to die.
This is disturbing on so many levels, owners, neighbors, rocks being thrown. He was more loving and loyal than most people can onlt hope to be. Hopefully this pup will finally know what love and compassion really is. My heart goes out to him.
these dogs do not look like Chow Chow's I am familiar with .... Not nearly furry enough. How could Chen the Chow look so well kempt after 3 years....there is more to this story than is being told....I think, but then I live in a northern state so manybe it is possible where it is warm. Glad the dog found his forever home. :)
I can't believe the way the neighbors treated Chen, why did it take them 3 fricking years to help him. Karma will get them for throwing rocks at the poor little guy!!!! I can't figure out why humans treat animals the way they do! Sorry, a little upset over the time that lapsed before he was helped!
OMC, Chen is such a gorgeous dog...how could anyone have left him behind to fend for himself? I'm so happy that he was cared for and went to a new home.....I believe it is really his 'furever' home with the wonderful new gentleman who even flew to get him. Amazing! But what a wonderful reward to get Chen - he's so beautiful. A happy story for sure.
OMG.....THREE FRICKIN YEARS THIS POOR DOG WAS LEFT WANDERING AROUND THE PROPERTY! THESE NEIGHBORS ARE SERIOUSLY THE BIGGEST ASSHOLES I HAVE READ ABOUT IN A LONG TIME! THIS DOG WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE THREE DAYS LET ALONE 3 YEARS IF IT WAS IN MY NEIGHBOORHOOD! THAT'S OVER 1,000 DAYS, UNBELIEVABLE! I PRAY THE NEW PEOPLE ARE LAVISHING LOVE ON THIS DEAR DOG :)
Makes me sick to think anyone can just leave their four legged kids! Three years that dog waited, through cold, lonely days and nights and not even having regular meals. Not to mention the terrible neighbors being so mean. I don't know how those previous owners can even put their heads on a pillow at night and sleep for goodness sakes....maybe this is why I would rather be with my four legged rescue dogs and cats then most folks!!
The neighbors are even worse then the owners they are asses
what horrid neighbors (throwing rocks) 3 years you let this poor dog stay alone and what awful owners who just left him. i wish there was some way where this persons names could be put in the news so that they never get to own any type of animals they do not deserve the unconditional love that comes with owning a pet.
What I would like to know is why the neighbors were throwing rocks at the dog, AND why didn't someone call a rescue group immediately after the owners abondoned their home and the dog! It makes me sick what people will do. I am really saddened for the dog to have had to live like that for 3 years, and the loyalty it felt. Thank God for people like the man in this story. You are a hero.
This is exactly why I said I couldn't believe this happened in my native home town of Atlanta, GA! If I had been any of those neighbors, I'd have called Animal Control or the Police the first week I'd have noticed something amiss! All these idiots involved shouldn't ever own an animal or be allowed to be around an animal ever again!
Our 17 year old dog died of old age (we had her since she was 6 weeks old). We went to the pound and found an adorable shih tzu mix who had been abandoned. She was listed as a "biter" and it was her last day. She is absolutely the sweetest little girl you can imagine!! ADOPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately many a sweet dog is labeled vicious because of shelter stress, confusion, fear...I'm so glad you saw through the bluff and have this little sweetie in your home!!!
We took in a dog abandoned in our neighborhood. It took us a few days it figure out the people had just left him behind. This is what happens when animals are not valued as a family member. We, as a community need to step up and care for those left behind. We are all responsible to reach out!
Amento that, I cant stand when people think of pets as a toy, the give unconditionel love and we should give that back to them. I love them all !God bless you
Is there any way for the original owners could be punished. How mean and cruel are they? Never hurt an animal or abandon one.
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