Dog Abandoned Near North Carolina Highway with ‘Free Dog, Free Kennel’ Sign Rescued by Foster

Nova shines after a difficult start.

In early December, a black and white dog was abandoned at a kennel next to a busy highway in North Carolina with a sign that simply read “Free dog, Free Kennel.”

Although it is not clear how long Nova was left sitting in the cold, one person who came across her posted on Facebook looking for a rescuer for the puppy. Ten minutes after the post appeared, she was alerted by Madison Nygard, a foster volunteer from Pawfect Match Rescue.

Nygard, who has four dogs of her own, saw the pole and immediately mobilized.

“I was on my way. I saw it a few minutes after she posted it. I got to Nova before the post hit the clock,” Nygard tells PEOPLE.

When she arrived, Nygard found the dog still in her kennel with the sign attached.

“What happened if they decided, ‘Let me just put this dog in a crate with no tray underneath on concrete in 40-degree weather in the middle of the day, in front of a food truck on a major highway?’ Nygard asks how the little dog ended up in this situation.

Nova the dog before she was rescued by Madison Nygard, a volunteer foster from Pawfect Match Rescue.

Madison Nygard

Nygard didn’t have answers about how Nova ended up abandoned like this, but she knew she wasn’t going to let the pet’s story end here. After speaking with animal control officers, who were on the scene when Nygard arrived, Nygard was given permission to take Nova and adopt her through Pawfect Match Rescue.

“I knew that at least if I brought her into the house, she would have food in her stomach and I would be able to physically supervise her,” Nygard says.

So Nygard helped Nova get medical help and brought her home.

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“I brought her into the house, and she came over, licked my kids, came over to my husband and was loving to him,” Nygard says.

Nova also had an instant affinity for cuddling on the couch, leading the adopter to believe the dog likely lived in the home before she was abandoned.

“All 11 other dogs we brought into this house, we had to teach them how to jump on the couch. They didn’t want to do it on their own,” she says.

Nova the dog at Madison Nygard’s home in North Carolina.

Madison Nygard

Since moving in, Nova has quickly won over Nygard and her family members.

“My son was very sad when I brought her home because he said, ‘Oh no, she’s lost her family. What are we going to do, mom?’ I said, ‘She’ll be fine. We’ll take care of her. We’ll love her.’ Now, every time he sees Nova, he says, ‘Girl Nova, come here. You’re my best friend,'” shares Nygard.

Moments like these satisfy Nygard, who began adopting pets to help care for the animals and teach her children the importance of kindness to all creatures.

“I wanted to help and also teach my kids about boundaries with animals and teach them why I’m so attached to dogs and cats and why I always want to do things for animals. It was fun. My kids love it. They think it’s a little gift that always brings them home,” Nygard says, adding, “It’s also great to know you’ve helped pets get to where they need to be and find a forever home.”

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Nova will soon be on her way to her forever home, according to Monica Horvath, adult dog coordinator and reserve operations manager at Pawfect Match Rescue.

“She has a very interested, wonderful potential adopter, a former judge in the area,” she says, adding that the adoption will likely be processed after Nova’s waiting period with the rescue ends.

Unfortunately, there are likely to be more cases like Nova in the future, Horvath says.

“We see this every day. If it’s not a dog in a cage, it’s puppies in a bucket while it’s raining and you just hope they don’t drown. These are dogs thrown in boxes. All of us rescuers are conditioned, if we see a bag, box or container next to road, to stop to see if there’s a dog inside. People leave dogs in dog parks. They tie them to trees in wealthy neighborhoods,” she says.

Madison Nygard’s son hugs dog Nova.

Madison Nygard

Horvath adds that this increase in the number of abandoned animals appears to be related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since the pandemic, I think in the whole country, the big problem is that people adopted much more often when they were at home. And then they realize when they go back to work that it’s not so easy to manage dogs,” she says. . “So we’re seeing an incredible increase in owner surrenders. Also, because people didn’t go out during the pandemic, spaying and neutering dropped dramatically. So then dogs had babies they wouldn’t have otherwise, which contributed to the overcrowding crisis.”

To address this problem, Horvath says stricter “sterilization rules” are needed in North Carolina and greater access to low-cost sterilization clinics across the country.

“Nova is a great example of a terrible case. I want people to know that this is not a one-time thing, but an everyday thing. If it upsets you, there are ways you can help us all over North Carolina,” the rescue coordinator says.

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To help Pawfect Match Rescue in its work to combat homelessness and pet overcrowding, Horvath suggests a donation to the rescue.

“We also have wish lists on Amazon and Chewy for supply donations. I understand that not everyone wants to give money, and the supplies keep us going,” she says.

“And then, of course, sharing adoptable pets on social media helps — for any rescue, not just ours,” adds Horvath.

To learn more about Pawfect Match Rescue and support their lifesaving work, visit the rescue’s website.

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Source: HIS Education