Woman Ties Dog Near Animal Shelter and Speeds Off, Prompting Outrage

Witnesses catch the act

At around 5:20 p.m. on RD67, a busy road in the area, a green Renault Clio pulled over near the Jean-Mermoz alleyway, which leads to the Saint-Adrien airfield. The spot was no coincidence — the SPA Gray shelter is just a stone’s throw away.

Yvette Charles, treasurer and long-time pillar of the local SPA chapter, was on the shelter’s parking lot talking with other volunteers when she noticed the car pulling over. “People usually stop here to make a call. But this felt odd,” she recalled. From where she was standing, she couldn’t see much — only that the car took off suddenly. “It was only when I looked more closely that I saw a dog’s tail.”

“You never get used to this”

Yvette rushed over and discovered the heartbreaking scene. Another driver, who had witnessed the entire incident, had already stopped to assist the dog. “The woman tied him so tightly to that post, just one meter from the road,” Yvette said, still shaken. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve seen a lot... but it never gets easier.”

The one-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd, clearly confused and disoriented, was brought into the shelter just moments later. “He’s surrounded by other dogs and clearly stressed. Right now, he’s in a kennel,” she added.

Hope for a new life

Thanks to the witness who noted down the vehicle’s license plate, the SPA has filed a complaint with the local gendarmerie in Gray. As for the dog, now named Falco, his story could still have a happy ending.

“We’ll neuter and vaccinate him, and by the end of the week, he’ll be up for adoption,” said Yvette. “People will be able to come meet him. He’s stunning,” she added, hopeful that someone will open their home and heart to him.