17-year-old dog left tied to picnic table with heartbreaking note: “I’m a good boy…”

All elderly dogs deserve loving homes to spend their twilight years in, but sadly one 17-year-old dog was recently abandoned, left tied up in the park with nothing but a heartbreaking note.

Now, one rescue is stepping in to give this old dog the care he deserves.

Yesterday, Cuse Pit Crew, a nonprofit based in Syracuse, New York, responded to a call about a dog who was found abandoned in the local Schiller Park.

He was tied up to a picnic bench, and the owner left a handwritten note behind, saying he was a 17-year-old dog named Max.

“I’m a good boy,” the note reads. “”My owners can’t take care of me no more… Please help me!“

The Cuse Pit Crew team met with Syracuse Police and Dog Control, who transported Max to receive medical care.

The organization said they wished Max’s owner had sought help instead of abandoning the dog. “Max is not the first, nor will he be the last dog abandoned in a park,” they wrote on Facebook. “We believe this could’ve been avoided if more people are aware of our services. We are not a rescue, BUT we will help problem solve with you to the best of our ability.”

“The last thing we want is to see another Max left in a park to fend for himself.”

Max was later taken in by HumaneCNY animal shelter. In a post, they reported that Max’s former owner had been identified and arrested on one count of abandonment and one count of cruelty.

As Max’s story spread, the shelter received support and donations for his care. In an update from this afternoon, HumaneCNY wrote that Max was receiving “much needed” pain meds and antibiotics.

They also said that he was anemic and dehydrated, and suffering from chronic ear infections that permanently damaged his ears. However they also said that his bloodwork was “pretty decent” considering his age, and he was still a “lively and curious boy” who likes humans.

The shelter also said that they are working on placing Max in a foster home.