Couple’s story about dog abandoned with “free” sign in Massachusetts was hoax, police confirm
By Riley Rourke
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ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The story of a dog that was abandoned in a cage in Attleboro, Massachusetts, with a sign that said “free” on it was a hoax, police said on Friday.
Originally, police were searching for the owner of a 6-month-old Yorkshire Terrier puppy after it had been left near Bliss Dairy on Park Street on Monday. Two people said they had found the dog on the side of the road and took it to the 24-Hour Seasons Corner Market just before 2 a.m.
They left it with the employee after saying they didn’t know what to do with it. The employee allowed a Pawtucket resident to take the dog home, but later reported the incident to the police after being concerned for the dog’s well-being.
But days later, police confirmed the Attleboro Sun Chronicle’s reporting that the couple who dropped the dog off did not find it on the side of the road, and the story had been made up.
Attleboro Police Chief Kyle Heagney said that the wife had been given the dog by her coworker and brought it home to her husband in Cumberland. Her husband did not want the puppy, so they drove to the store and came up with the story to leave it there, Heagney told the Chronicle.
The dog was handed over to Attleboro Animal Control after police tracked down the Pawtucket resident. The adorable dog will be available for adoption after the city works through the legalities of ownership. Heagney said that there is a significant public interest in adopting the animal.
Police told the Chronicle that they will not press charges for abandonment since it does not meet the legal standard for the charge. The names of the couple have not been released.
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