MIDLAND, Texas — In a field just a few miles off of Interstate-20, somebody left a 9 or 10 month old dog named Gunther in the middle of a field.
Gunther had tape around his mouth and legs and, had it not been for a good Samaritan, Gunther would have been left on that road.
“There was a gentleman, I’m assuming he was maybe on his way to work over a couple miles past I-20," said Desirae Ryon, who is currently fostering Gunther. "(It was) kind of in the middle of nowhere. He found him, took pictures of the dog, reached out to PBAA so that way we can try to help him out.”
The man sent the pictures to the Permian Basin Animal Advocates, who shared the pictures to their Facebook page. Gunther was then given food and water before getting a trip to the vet.
For now, Gunther is with Ryon as a foster, getting shelter and love.
But why are dogs like Gunther dumped and abandoned? It has been a growing problem that some people have started raising concerns about.
In some cases, it’s an abusive owner leaving them for the wild. For others, it’s a way to dump the responsibilities of raising a dog.
“I think a lot of the times, people get dogs and they don't know how much work it takes to keep a dog well taken care of," Ryon said. "So instead of reaching out to a rescue, or maybe a friend or family member to try to help them out with the dog, they opt to just dump it because that's the easier option. They hope somebody will come pick it up.”
The PBAA still doesn't know who abandoned Gunther or why they did it. But they are grateful for the life-saving support from foster families like Ryon.
“The benefit of it [fostering] is saving the life of the animal," Ryon said. "Who knows what would happen to dogs like Gunther if they had never been found, never been helped.”
He may not stay there forever, but for now Gunther can rest easy knowing his foster family will take care of him until the perfect family comes along that can give him the warmth, love and treats that he deserves.
“The ultimate goal is to find Gunther a forever home," Ryon said. "One that he is going to be safe and he is going to be loved unconditionally the way that he is supposed to.”
If you know of an animal that is being abused, you can leave a tip on the City of Midland's website under the "Report an Issue" tab, or call the police.
If you want to surrender an animal you are unable to take care of, you can reach out to any shelter or rescue.