You find a way to pay to care for the animal or put it to sleep.
RTFA
The rescue realized the little dog had been well-cared for and according to the note, very much loved, so they decided to try to reach out to the dog’s owners.
When the dog owners came forward, they explained they are indeed both sick and cannot even afford their medical treatments or tires for their vehicle. They had taken their dog, who is actually named Otto Wolfgang Maximus, to a veterinarian and were told that they would need to run costly tests. When they realized they couldn’t even afford to have their dog euthanized by the vet, they were “hysterical” and didn’t know what else to do aside from leaving him at the shelter.
They can’t even afford meds for THEMSELVES!
Euthanasia is not cheap, FRiend, and any other method of euthanasia is cruel. I had 5 ferrets at one point just a few years ago, and each one of them cost me $350 to put down when it was their time. My wife’s cat had thrown a clot and was paralyzed from mid-back to its haunches, and putting her down was over $500.
These elderly folks don’t sound like they’ve got a pot to piss in. I volunteer at an elder care organization, and I’ve seen people like this who live one SS check to the next and literally eat dog food instead of giving up their beloved pets. This is a very sad story and even more tragic that it was a doxie, because I love my doxie and would never want to see her in pain.