VIDEO: Dog runs after truck after being abandoned at shelter

HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)- – A viral video of a man leaving a dog outside a East Tennessee animal shelter has captured the hearts of animal lovers.

A security camera at the Hawkins County Humane Society shows a dog chasing after a man just minutes after he left him at the front door of the shelter. 

A portion of the video was shared on Facebook by a staff member from the Hawkins County Humane Society.

Joseph Cadorette, a staff member of the Hawkins County Humane Society, says the shelter has received dozens of calls from concerned people asking about this dog, a 2-year-old blue heeler named Rawhide.

“He gets out of his truck and walks to the back,” Cadorette said. “He’s got a fiberglass cover on the bed of his truck and he unlocks it, pulls the dog out.”

At the time of the incident, Cadorette said the shelter was closed for quarantine.

“He couldn’t get in because the doors were locked,” Cadorette said. “He turned around and just walked away.”

In the video, you can see Rawhide following the man back to the truck.

When the man drives away you can see Rawhide chase after him.

“We noticed a vehicle pulling out with a dog chasing it and our staff members went out to chase him,” Cadorette said. “He was running down Highway 11. He almost got hit by four or five cars before we got him back in the parking lot.”

Rawhide still needs his shots and to be neutered, which is scheduled for next week.

He will be available for adoption sometime next week. He will need all of his shots before he will be available for adoption.

“We’re just hoping to get him taken care of and get him a family here that can adopt him and show him the love and care that he wants,” Cadorette said. “You have to treat animals just as good as a human being, I mean they got feelings too.” 

If you would like to contact the Hawkins County Humane Society you can visit their Facebook page here or call 423-272-6538.