Outside the front door of the Harbor Humane Society sits a sign. “Do not abandon an animal here,” the sign reads. “Wait until business hours. No fee for bringing an animal to HHS. For the sake of the animal, please be humane.”
An older, outdated version of the same sign sits at the back of the shelter, too, near some picnic tables where employees can take a break.
When staff at the Harbor Humane Society arrived for work one morning, they expected to start another busy day helping animals in need.
There were no animals waiting for them out front. Instead, they were met with a heartbreaking sight that stopped them in their tracks.
Tied to the base of a sign that read “Do not abandon an animal here” was a small, frightened dog. She’d been left there all night — waiting in the dark, not understanding why she’d been abandoned.
Security footage later showed the little pup, now named Trixie, had been tied up around 9 p.m. and wasn’t discovered until 7:30 a.m. the next morning. For 11 long hours, she waited alone by the shelter’s back door, shivering beneath the very sign begging people to do the opposite of what had been done to her.
“Our team member had just arrived to start the morning shift when she noticed the dog tied to the signpost,” said Jen Nuernberg, director of marketing and strategic initiatives at Harbor Humane. “At first, she was scared and barking — but once our staff member crouched down and spoke softly, Trixie crawled right into her lap. She’s been sweet and affectionate ever since.”
Inside the shelter, the team surrounded Trixie with warmth and comfort. She was healthy and in good condition — just confused and heartbroken.
“When someone abandons an animal without any information, we’re left to guess,” said Jen Self Aulgur, the shelter’s executive director. “We think she’s around 3 or 4 years old, but we don’t know her name, her favorite toys, or even what comforts her. Those small details mean so much in helping us care for them.”
Despite the mystery surrounding her past, one thing is certain — Trixie’s future is already looking brighter. She’s now surrounded by people who love her deeply and are determined to help her heal.
“This pup deserves to have her story known,” Self Aulgur added. “We’re not here to shame anyone — we just want to make sure she gets the best care possible.”
Trixie will be available for adoption soon, once she’s fully settled and ready for her forever home. For now, she’s spending her days soaking up cuddles and gentle reassurance from her new friends — and dreaming about the family who will never leave her behind again.
If you’d like to support animals like Trixie, you can donate to Harbor Humane Society and help give more pets the second chances they deserve.
