Couple Rescue Puppy After Seeing Owner 'Dump' Her in Children's Playground

Every dog owner can recall that special moment when they found their new four-legged friend—whether it was from a breeder or a shelter. But how many people can say they rescued a dog from a playground?

That's exactly what happened to Maddy Cantu on February 17, when she was going past an abandoned elementary school and saw a "woman dumping her dog." Despite her horror, Cantu wasn't going to leave the pup there, and she instantly took her home to get cleaned up and give her plenty of affection.

"My husband and I watched a woman dump her at an abandoned elementary school, and when he confronted the woman she claimed that she'd tried to take her to a shelter but was turned away," Cantu, from Austin, Texas, told Newsweek.

"It was a difficult decision for us at first because we have a small apartment and we already have one big dog, but once we got attached to her there was no going back."

With estimates from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) suggesting that around 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters across the country every year, there are many pets in need of a home. It's thought that about 4.1 million get adopted each year, but shelters are still struggling to keep up with the growing demand.

The ASPCA says that 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year because of problems with funding and capacity. They note that the number has dropped significantly since 2011 (when it was 2.6 million), but it's a number that's still far too high and they encourage more people to consider adopting.

Deciding Whether to Keep Her

It was an impulse decision for Cantu and her husband to take the dog home that day, but in the days that followed, they were still considering their options and wanted to see if anyone would consider adopting the dog, named Daisy.

However, it didn't take long before Cantu knew that the pup had already found her forever home and they decided to keep her.

Thankfully, Daisy is in reasonably good health, but a trip to the vet confirmed that she "just needs her shots and lots of love." They think that she's half German shepherd and half Great Pyrenees, but the couple will do a DNA test soon to get confirmation.

How Did Social Media React?

The day after they found Daisy, Cantu shared a video of the pup on her TikTok account (@maddycantu8), and while she didn't know it at the time, she was showing everyone the newest member of her family.

Cantu explained that she enjoys "sharing parts of [her] life on social media," and while this was different from the usual content she posts, she wanted to share the shocking story of Daisy being left behind by her previous owner.

The video went viral with more than 3.9 million views and over 490,200 likes in a matter of days, and numerous social media users implored her to consider keeping Daisy. As people continued to ask for updates, Cantu shared regular videos before confirming on February 21 that they had "finally realized" that Daisy was part of the family.

"It was a very emotional moment for me, and I thought it would be good to share that. But I had no idea that it would get the traction that it did," Cantu told Newsweek.

"The social media reaction has been so heartwarming, people have been so kind and supportive. I sometimes tear up reading the comments because they are truly so sweet, especially the ones where people say they prayed for us to keep her. We want to thank everyone who donated money and sent Daisy items on our wish list. It's going to help us pay for our apartment fees to keep her, the vet bills, and hopefully some training too."

Daisy's life has changed drastically in the last few weeks, but now she's getting used to her new home and life alongside her 8-year-old canine sister, Lilo. The Labrador wasn't too sure about the bundle of energy initially, but they're gradually getting accustomed to one another.

"Lilo was indifferent at first, but once it became clear that we were keeping Daisy, she definitely started getting jealous," Cantu said. "Since then, she's warmed up to her and we give Lilo a lot of love and attention to make sure she's OK with it."

After the video of Daisy's rescue went viral, it gained more than 3,400 comments on TikTok, as many people praised Cantu for not thinking twice about rescuing her.

One comment reads: "You can see in her eyes that she's confused why she got abandoned. I'm glad you were there to love her."

Another person responded: "I'm glad she wasn't alone for long."

While another TikToker wrote: "You're both amazing for helping this beautiful animal. I hope you end up keeping her."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.