Facebook | Sharon Norton

Dog Abandoned On Side Of Road Almost Starves Waiting For Owner To Return

It's hard to ask for a more faithful, loyal companion than your dog. They're "man's best friend" because they'll stick by your side through thick and thin.

Unfortunately, that's a trait that came back to haunt this poor pooch.

Sharon Norton, who works as an animal control officer in Brookhaven, Mississippi, recently received a call about an abandoned dog.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

Someone had seen the dog lounging in a recliner on the side of a road, next to a TV that had also been discarded.

As she pulled up to the scene, "I felt sick to my stomach," she told Today.

Sure enough, there was a dog sitting in a recliner on the side of the road, just as reported.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

The puppy, about four months old, was not having a good time sitting there in the recliner — it was starving.

Although whoever had abandoned the dog had left some kibble behind, it was not enough.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

"That poor baby; he'd been a good four or five days without food," Norton said. "I mean, he was skinny."

Norton couldn't get him to leave the recliner at first.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

But, with a handful of treats, she slowly gained the pup's trust.

"He was just too scared because it was a strange area," she said. "It's a deserted road. On both sides it was nothing but woods."

After she gained his trust, Norton picked up the mutt and took him back to her truck.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

She said she could feel his tail thumping against her back. "He was so happy because he knew he was going to get food now. He was rescued and safe."

She took him for a bath and got him medical care and dropped him off at a local shelter.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

And, in honor of where she found him, Norton named him La-Z-Boy Gaston.

He isn't quite up for adoption just yet, but the group caring for him, the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League, says it's taking applications.

In the meantime, veterinarians are working to get the little guy's weight up and get him healthy again.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

And Norton is hoping to track down his former owner, perhaps if someone recognizes the recliner. However, she also added that because dogs are considered property in Mississippi, the person who left La-Z-Boy Gaston there would probably only receive a $50 fine for illegal dumping.

Naturally, Norton did not have any kind words for whoever dropped La-Z-Boy Gaston off.

Facebook | Sharon Norton

In a Facebook post, she wrote, "To the person that dumped this chair, your puppy was waiting for you to come back, slowly starving to death because it was afraid to leave the chair to find food." "Shame on you for doing this to this puppy," she added. "But one day karma will meet up with you."

h/t Today

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