This week, employees at the McKamey Animal Center in Tennessee took in a puppy with a charming face called Lilo and gave her a temporary home at their facility. A kind Samaritan had come across her while she was wandering the streets by herself and had taken her to the shelter for protection after making the discovery.

The manner in which Lilo had gotten herself into that difficult situation, on the other hand, didn’t remain a secret for very long.

When Lilo was discovered, she was still walking with a leash linked to her collar, and there was also another item tied to her collar. It was a message from her mother to whomever it was that had the good fortune to get acquainted with Lilo.

These gut-wrenching phrases were handwritten on a scrap of paper and they were on it:

“My name is Lilo. Please adore me. My mother is now unable to care for me and has two other children to care for. She gave it her all, but she was unable to find any assistance. I am too expensive for her to keep. I am a good dog that likes being petted and cuddled, and she gushes about how much she adores me. I beg you, please don’t treat me poorly.

Once again, Lilo was safe and sound. However, the employees at the McKamey Animal Center were worried about more than simply the dog’s well-being on its own. They were moved by the message sent by Lilo’s mother, so they published an online response that was meant for her:

“We want you to know how sad we are that you had no choice but to make the difficult decision to leave [Lilo] behind. We are aware that a lot of people are now having trouble providing adequate care for their dogs. We can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to put up an animal that you so obviously loved just because you are unable to offer the care that she requires. We do,” the shelter replied in their response.

“We are assuring you that she is in no danger and that we will provide the utmost care for her. She will be cherished by our employees and volunteers, we will honor her by retaining her name, and we assure you that we will do everything in our power to find her an amazing new home. If you are, however, reading this, our goal is that you will come forward to recover your daughter. We will provide assistance with whatever it is that you need in order to take care of her to the best of our abilities. It’s clear that Lilo is missing you, and the three of us would do everything to be able to help her reconnect with the family that she adores. In any case, we want you to know that we are here to support you in any way we can, that we understand what you are going through, and that we will not judge you for it.

The animal shelter received a response not more than a few days after publishing the emotional plea to Lilo’s mother.

Lilo’s mother had been found, and she was extended an invitation to get back in touch with the dog that it was obvious she loved so much.

With any bit of luck, Lilo’s mother will soon be able to get back on her feet and offer the kind of care that she recognizes Lilo needs. However, unfortunately, she is not alone when it comes to the challenges that she encounters as a pet owner who is suffering from homelessness.

Meanwhile, Lilo’s caregivers at the shelter are working toward the goal of preventing other animals from finding themselves in the same difficult situation that Lilo did.

The animal shelter said in its letter that “abandoning an animal is against the law, but more significantly, it should never have to be a choice.”

People who are having difficulty should seek assistance, as the McKamey Animal Center strongly recommends doing so. Many times, local animal shelters are the finest options available for aid with pets; however, there are national groups such as Feeding Pets of the Homeless that also give support.