Viral Post About Puppy Dumped Before Louisiana Freeze Has a Happy Ending—Legal Questions Arise

A disheartening post has been circulating through Acadiana on social media and many people have started to draw their own conclusions as to who is responsible for the dumping of an 8th-month-old— puppy right before the hard freeze in Louisiana this month. This situation has started a bigger conversation about the laws protecting animals from being neglected or dumped because unfortunately, this happens daily across Louisiana.

Get our free mobile app

The good news is that the state does have laws that can be enforced if sufficient evidence can be provided, and in this case, the community has connected the dots pretty easily. Additionally, this story does have a happy ending, unlike many others.

The post that has generated a conversation across Acadiana online pertains to a dog found "shivering" in someone's driveway near Youngsville off of Chemin Metarie. This post was made in the 'Lost and Found Pets & Rehoming in Lafayette, Louisiana'.

Members of the group quickly recognized the dog from an earlier post made on January 3rd in the same group saying that the dog needed a new home because he was "too hyper" around her newborn baby. People are speculating that these two posts are connected based on the time frame of her initial post and the dog turning up at someone's door.

Someone in the comments claims to have video footage of the car stopping, tuning their lights off and letting 'Comet' out of the car around 8:22 pm on January 13th, and proceeding to drive off. He then says that in the video you can see him chasing the vehicle as it speeds off. At this time we are unable to confirm if a police report was filed with the evidence of the vehicle dumping the dog. However, the community hopes that anyone with information regarding this incident filed a police report with the Youngsville police so justice can be served.

A Reminder to Support our Local Shelters and Rescues

The glaring issue here is that someone paid anywhere from $1,000-$3,000 dollars for a puppy from a breeder to decide 8 months later they could no longer care for the dog. This situation is a reminder of the importance of adopting from our local shelters and rescues that are overflowing with dogs that were once puppies and understanding that having a pet is a lifelong commitment.

If you or someone you know is considering purchasing a dog from a breeder, consider adopting from one of these shelters instead:

• Acadiana Animal Aid 
• Take Paws Rescue
• Saint Landry Parish Animal Control
• Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center
• The U Care Project

There are many, many more with animals waiting for a loving home, and often sharing a similar story with Comet.

Is Dumping an Animal in Louisiana a Crime?

The simple answer is yes.

With that being said if you are considering dumping your animal it is considered animal cruelty which is a crime in the state of Louisiana and you could face fines and in some cases jail time. Reach out to one of the rescues mentioned if you find yourself in a situation where you can no longer care for your pet.

If you are interested in reading more about animal cruelty laws in Louisiana click here.

Where is Comet Now?

Many animal lovers across Acadiana were moved by Comet's story and have been searching for an update on his whereabouts.

The U Care Project took Comet in according to a post made by Friends of Pound Pets in Acadiana.