Two dogs abandoned in public parks are now available for adoption

Two dogs that were abandoned in different local parks are now available for adoption.

On September 22, a resident reported seeing a male suspect abandon a dog at Mackenzie Park in Laguna Hills before driving away. Animal Control Officers arrived to find a young friendly dark grey American Pitbull Terrier without a microchip or any identifying information. Unable to ascertain his real name, they named him "Mack" after the park. The officers canvassed the area for surveillance video and were able to locate multiple cameras that captured the incident. The footage shows the man arriving in a dark gray Dodge Charger at 1:50 pm, leaving the dog outside the vehicle and driving off. Sadly, the video shows the dog chasing after the car, clearly confused about being left behind. Unfortunately, the cameras did not capture the vehicle's license plate.

In a separate incident, Mission Viejo Animal Services received a call about another abandoned dog tied up in Sycamore Park in Mission Viejo. Officers found a young friendly Goldendoodle, later named "Coconut," tied up in the creek area under a bridge. Like Mack, Coconut did not have a microchip but was wearing a red harness without any identifying information.

"Mission Viejo Animal Services takes animal cruelty and abandonment very seriously," said Director of Animal Services Brynn Lavison. "Willful abandonment of an animal is illegal, and we actively investigate these crimes. Remember, there are options to safely relinquish animals."

For more information about these sweet dogs, contact 949-470-3045 or visit the center at 28095 Hillcrest.