What are people thinking when they abandon pets?

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

27. In the 1990s, I got a rescued Great Pyrennes dog named Abigail

She had been bought as a puppy by some people who kept her tied up to a tree in the yard (and Illinois can have brutal weather -- all her life, she was very much afraid of thunderstorms). These people fed her whenever they thought about it. When she was about two years old, they moved away and just left her still tied to the tree. She weighed about 55 pounds when she was rescued -- she should have weighed at least half again as much. I cannot imagine why anyone would treat any animal like that. For one thing, she was obviously fairly expensive -- clearly purebred and close to show quality. When cleaned up and at her proper weight, she was one of the best looking dogs I have ever known.

Fortunately, her mistreatment did not affect her personality too badly. Abby was highly intelligent, affectionate, patient, protective, and demanding of attention. She adored being taken for walks in the park, where her favorite activity was having children come up and fuss over her. She was perfectly content to have adults do the same, but she obviously loved the children. The adults would tend to admire her and say that she was a good looking dog. The children simply showered her with affection. She knew the difference. The people who mistreated her missed out on a truly outstanding dog.