It was a scene that broke animal lover's hearts: A two-year-old pitbull mix dog was dumped out of its owner's car in the middle of a busy Tampa street. A passing motorist caught the incident on video and recorded as the dog ran after the car as it took off, trying in vain to catch up.
Now, the dog is in county custody and is being put up for adoption.
- "Tiger" let out of car on North Boulevard on Aug. 7
- Police used video to track down owner
- Owner permanently banned from owning, possessing animals
Hillsborough County's Pet Resource Center has named the dog "Tiger".
On Aug. 7, he was let out of the car on North Boulevard in Tampa.
"They did pick the dog back up at the end of the roadway about a mile away," said Roger Mills with the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. "They claimed they were just training the dog to follow them, but you can see on the video they were completely out of sight of that dog, and they left him in the roadway with cars passing."
Mills said police used the video to track down the owner. The county took custody of the dog and placed its owner on the county enjoined list, which permanently bans the person from owning and possessing animals in the county.
Mills said the state attorney's office is also considering animal abandonment charges.
Meanwhile, officials said the dog is doing well.
"He's a little on the timid side, he's a little shy," said Lauren Postiglione with the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. "It takes him awhile to warm up to people, but he really is a friendly dog, you just have to give him that time,"
Tiger has been interacting with staff at the facility, and he's now officially up for adoption.
"Our hope for him is that he finds a great home," she said. "He finds a good home where the people love him and adore him and he loves and adores them."
Anyone interested in adopting Tiger can contact the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center at 813-744-5660. The facility is located at 440 N. Faulkenburg Rd and its open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.