Dog abandoned at Richardson shelter goes viral, nursed back to health

RICHARDSON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — A dog that was abandoned in Richardson just before Christmas has captured the hearts of animal lovers across the country.

Now, Richardson Animal Services is hoping that attention translates into a home for the dog, and will serve as a cautionary tale for pet owners.

This story starts like so many others—with a change of heart toward a furry family member, and a middle-of-the-night abandonment in a dark parking lot.

But what makes this one different is that it was caught on surveillance camera by the Richardson Animal Shelter.

“You could see, like, a little blur of an animal just wandering around the whole entire parking lot for a couple of hours,” said Richardson Animal Shelter manager Noura Jammal.

In the video, the dog waits patiently for his owner to return. Eventually, he finds the front door of the shelter and curls up in a donated bed and blankets, shielding himself from the elements.

“It was a super cold night. Windy and approximately 40 degrees out there,” Jammal said.

Seven hours later, officers finally discover him when they arrived for work.

“He was at least 20 pounds underweight,” Jammal said. “And you could see that he was definitely neglected.”

Through a microchip, they discovered that he’s a three-year-old mixed breed named Khazi.

Richardson Animal Shelter contacted police, hoping to find and press charges against Khazi’s owner. But it turned out to be a dead end, so they focused on nursing him back to health.

The shelter’s social media post on Khazi garnered tens of thousands of likes. Its message? Reach out to your local shelter for resources if you can no longer care for your pet.

“There is always something that you can do. Abandonment is not the answer,” Jammal said.

Five weeks later, Khazi is hearty, happy and playful.

He’s ready to share that joy with a forever family.

“I feel like he’s just a big lug of a dog who just wants somebody to love on him and give him a good home, and he’ll treat you well for the rest of his life,” Jammal said,

Anyone interested in adopting Khazi can click here or can call the Richardson Animal Shelter at 972-744-4480.

Brooke Rogers

Brooke Rogers first joined the CBS 11 News Team in 2005 as a general assignment news reporter. As a 20-year veteran of TV news, she is proud to call North Texas home and to tell the stories that impact the community.