Abandoned Dog Howls at Playground, Hoping Someone Will Come

When Katherine Brothers saw a photo of a dog howling from an elementary school playground in Dayton, Ohio, she knew she couldn’t ignore it.

As the owner of Dayton Dog Den, Brothers spends her days boarding, grooming, and training dogs — and she regularly volunteers with local rescues to help strays find homes. When the heartbreaking image appeared on Facebook, she immediately recognized the pup.

Just the day before, she had seen another post in a neighborhood group showing two stray dogs wandering together.

Someone had managed to catch one of them, but the other had escaped. Now, that same dog, the white pup perched on the jungle gym, was crying out for help.

“Once I saw that photo of him howling, I said, ‘Oh, I’m going out right now,’” Brothers told The Dodo. “I grabbed my trap [and] headed out there.”

She rushed to the school, set up a humane trap, and created a trail of food leading inside. Within just a few hours, the frightened dog was safely caught. The dog is now named Petey.

At first, Petey was terrified. But once she got him out of the trap and onto a leash, he began to relax, realizing he was finally safe.

Petey had no microchip or tags, but Brothers worked quickly to find him a foster home through Paw Patrol Dayton. She says he was thrilled when he arrived and even more excited when she visited him a few days later.

Later, Brothers learned the sad truth: Petey and his brother had reportedly been given away on Craigslist and then abandoned. The two dogs had spent three days outside before Petey’s brother was rescued by another Good Samaritan, and Brothers was able to bring Petey to safety.

Soon, Petey will be neutered and ready for adoption through Paw Patrol Dayton. Brothers says whoever adopts him will be getting a “great dog” — one who is sweet, funny, and full of personality.