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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A woman in Texas told Newsweek she was left in shock after witnessing a man dump his dog at the side of the road before driving off into the night—but she knew exactly what to do.
Sara Strode was driving home from her grandma's house at around 8:40 p.m. when she witnessed something astonishing. "I saw a white car pulled over with its hazard lights on," Strode said. "I watched a man get out, open his trunk, and throw a dog onto the side of the road. Then he ran back to his car and sped off."
It was getting dark, and Strode was initially confused as to what she had just seen. "I was in shock. I slowed down, thinking maybe I misunderstood—maybe he let the dog out to go potty or something," she said. "But, when I saw him take off, I knew he was dumping her."
Read More on Pets
Shelter Animals Count (SAC) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting data on animal sheltering nationwide. It says that 2.9 million dogs entered the shelter system in 2024.
Yet the man Strode witnessed that evening didn't even afford their canine the decency of being properly surrendered to a shelter. You can only imagine what might have happened had Strode not been there.
However, she knew what she had to do: help. So she parked up and went off in search of the abandoned dog. Rescuing her was no easy feat.
"She was scared and started walking into the road, which was so dangerous with the traffic," Strode said. "It took me almost 30 minutes to get her to trust me enough to come close. I finally picked her up and got her into my car."
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Normally, Strode would have her dog with her in the car. On this particular night, she had decided to leave her pet at home. That gave her the space needed to get the other canine home.
"When I got home, my mom didn't want me to bring her inside, so I sat outside with her for about two hours," Strode said. "A sweet lady from Tractor Supply, where my sister works, brought me a kennel so the dog could sleep safely. Eventually, I was able to bring her in."
Over the days that followed, Strode was able to give the dog a bath and post her story on Facebook. The power of social media soon kicked in. "My community really showed up," Strode said. "By the next day, we found her a safe, loving home, and she was adopted. Her new name is Luna, and she went to a family with kids, who is well known in our community."
Strode has aided in the rescue of several kittens and cats over the years, but this was the first time she had come to the rescue of a dog and one dumped right in front of her, too.
"It was heartbreaking to see someone treat a dog like that—but I'm just thankful I was in the right place at the right time. She deserved better, and now she's getting it," Strode said.
"Unfortunately, dumping is way too common in this area. Someone reached out to me on Facebook, saying they saved another dog from the same location just over a month ago."
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Strode shared Luna's story to TikTok, under the handle @saranic__ with a simple message: "abandoning an animal is never okay."
"They're not trash to be thrown out when you're done," Strode said. "Even though this was awful, I hope it shows that there are still people out there who care and will step up when it matters."
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