Abandoned Dog Chases After Apparent Owners' Pickup Truck in Louisiana
— -- A Louisiana woman photographed the moment an abandoned dog at a Shell gas station dashed onto a busy two-lane highway Monday afternoon to chase a pickup truck believed to be driven by its owners.
The owners of the German shepherd mix apparently named Butterbean have been found, Humane Society of Louisiana director Jeff Dorson told ABC News, adding what they discovered was "incredulous."
"A local reporter found the owners, and we've discovered it's not uncommon at all for this family to abandon the dog at the station and let it chase their truck," Dorson said. "They've done this multiple times and apparently think it's no big deal, and they don't seem to care about the welfare of the dog."
Dorson said he's not sure who the owners are but he was given their address by a local reporter who he said told him she had located the owners.
"We're going over there later today to educate them about the dangers they're putting their dog and motorists through," Dorson said. "We're hoping to get a citation issued through our local animal control against the owners for having their dog at large."
Laurie Hollis, who photographed the dog "desperately" running after the truck on her cellphone, told ABC News today she thought something was off when she saw the driver with the dog at the Highway 11 Shell gas station in Slidell, outside New Orleans.
"I saw a gentleman walking around the gas station with the dog following him, and I thought he was homeless," Hollis said. "He then sat on the back of this pickup truck and talked to the dog, who seemed to be very in tune to what he was saying.
"Next thing I know, another man comes out, he tells the dog to 'get out' and 'go away,'" she added. "He shut the tail gate, and the dog tries to put its paws up to climb, but he just enters the truck and they back up real fast almost hitting the dog and speed off."
The dog then went down the busy highway for more than a mile, weaving through traffic trying to chase down the truck, Hollis said. She tried to follow them with her own car, but lost them, she added.
When Hollis went back to the Shell station to ask about the dog and its owner, an employee apparently told her, 'The dog lives in the hood, and you need to mind your own f****** business,'" she said.
When ABC News called the gas station for comment, an employee who only identified herself as Sandra said, "Everyone is making a big deal, and it needs to stop," and abruptly hung up.
