Aged dog cries at shelter as owner walks out with younger pup

The family of Cookie, an aging cocker spaniel, left her behind at the San Bernardino City Shelter like she was an old shoe.

They came to the shelter to retrieve Cookie and another dog Dec. 30 after the two had been rounded up as strays. The family claimed the younger dog, a labrador retreiver. Then they took off.

And as Cookie watched them go, she whimpered.

Shelter staff say they witnessed how Cookie was betrayed in the most stunning and hurtful manner.

A member of the San Bernardino City Shelter said, “Cookie is crying for her family. She watched as the family drove away and left her to die.”

Cookie’s story drew the attention of animal lovers, who rallied to the old dog.

It wasn’t long before OC Small Paws So UT went to work to help save Cookie from the shelter and placed her with a “foster mother,” according to the website, 3milliondogs.com.

Given Cookie’s age – she is believed to be anywhere from 8 to 10 years old – she has medical conditions that will require the care and attention of a veterinarian, which the rescue group is taking care of. Cookie has already had one surgery for cancer and is recovering well, according to the rescue group’s Facebook page.

These days, Cookie is resting comfortably with her foster family, squeaking balls and getting house-trained. OC Small Paws So UT says on its Facebook page that it has decided not to place Cookie for adoption by another family because of her medical needs. Instead, she will remain in permanent foster care. The group encourages everyone who is interested in helping Cookie to consider helping another dog in need, especially an abandoned senior dog.

On its Facebook page Monday, OC Small Paws So UT says it has been overwhelmed by emails and phone calls about Cookie’s story. The volunteer rescue group says it can no longer answer individual inquiries on Cookie because of time constraints, but will post updates on her progress to Facebook.

The rescue group says it also has received some angry messages from people who mistakenly believe it was responsible for allowing Cookie’s original owner to retrieve the younger dog from the shelter.

“We have spoken with some very nice people over the last few days but a lot of people were confused and think we had direct contact with the owner which is not the case,” says the Facebook post.

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This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Aged dog cries at shelter as owner walks out with younger pup."