Vet Assistant's Message for Owners After Puppy Left at Clinic for 3 Days

After dropping their pets off at the vet, most people would probably be counting down the hours until they can go and collect them again, but not everyone, because a veterinary assistant has shocked the internet by revealing that a puppy was left at her hospital for three days before he was finally collected.

In a video posted on TikTok (@domihum), Dominique Humphries said that a dog owner brought their puppy in for an appointment and left him there without returning. The clip was taken two days after the pit bull and Labrador retriever mix came in, but there was still no sign of the owner.

Humphries told Newsweek that she repeatedly contacted the puppy's owner, who said they were on the way each time. The veterinary assistant from Atlanta, Georgia, said she couldn't understand how the dog's owner could leave him there, and by the second day she started to become concerned.

Humphries said: "The owner didn't want to pick up the dog because they were scared of losing him to a health issue, even though the doctor told them before that the dog was fine. They just got up and left the dog in the exam room, and we didn't hear from them until the next day.

"When I saw the patient left overnight, I was just thinking, 'How could an owner leave such a young pup here by itself for days and not care?'" Humphries said. "The dog was playful but wanted a lot of love and affection. We gave it that in between appointments, and I even ate my lunch in the exam room so it could play and run around instead being in a cage."

The TikTok video instantly went viral with over 1.8 million views and more than 268,000 likes in a matter of days, as many social-media users also grew worried for this 2-month-old puppy.

Layered over the video, Humphries reminded people that her place of work "isn't an animal shelter," and it is only meant to be an animal hospital.

The owner finally came to collect the dog on the third day, but it was while Humphries was carrying out another appointment, so she wasn't present at the time.

"They came to get the dog on the third day of it being at my clinic, which definitely made me sad because I feel like the patient deserves a better home," Humphries said. "I have not heard from the owner since, and I'm fearful but also don't want to know if something happened to the dog."

Since sharing the video online, Humphries has been amazed to see so many social-media users show empathy for a dog they have never even met.

While some TikTok users offered to pay the vet bill, others wrote that the dog shouldn't have to go back to the owner who appeared to have abandoned him. However, Humphries was bound by veterinary protocols and there was nothing more she could do except take care of the pup until he was eventually collected.

Humphries told Newsweek: "I appreciate all the love and support on my TikTok page about the dog. I'm still getting comments from people wanting him or saying we shouldn't give him back to the owner, and I agree.

"I wish there was more that I could've done for him, but I have to follow protocols from the hospital. I hope he's doing great, but if I do have an update later on, I will keep everyone posted."

The TikTok video has amassed over 1,100 comments already, as many people were horrified by what happened, and others offered to help. One comment reads: "How can you abandon that sweet baby."

Another person wrote: "How can people do things like this. My heart."

A third TikTok user commented: "I will go through all the necessary paperwork and take him."

Do you have any adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.