It’s always sad to see people abandon their pets at animal shelters, but one recent case had a layer of heartbreaking irony: the dog was found tied up to a “do not abandon” sign.

On April 9, the Harbor Humane Society, in West Olive, Michigan, shared a photo of a tiny dog that had been left overnight on their property.

The poor pup was tied up to a sign that read “DO NOT ABANDON AN ANIMAL HERE: WAIT UNTIL BUSINESS HOURS,” but apparently the owner did not listen.

“We know there is a lot of reasons people can’t keep their pets,” Harbor Humane wrote. “But please, do not tie your pet overnight at a shelter.”
They said they had moved the sign to the back of the training center because it is outdated: there is no fee to drop a stray at Harbor Humane, and they were concerned the sign might “discourage people from bringing animals to the shelter.”

It is not clear if this tied-up dog was someone’s pet or found as a stray, and the humane society is hoping that the woman who left the dog reaches out to them with more information, promising they wouldn’t judge.

“This pup deserves to have her story and history known. We do not want to shame or get you in trouble- we just want to help this poor pup.”

They wrote that when people surrender their pets, they ask that they fill out paperwork about why they need to surrender, and provide a profile of “vital information that aids us in finding their pet a new home.”