The staff at Southern Pines Animal Shelter arrived Tuesday morning to find a heartbreaking sight: a dog named Juice had been tied to the shelter’s sign overnight, visibly distressed and suffering from a painful rectal prolapse.

Beside Juice was a handwritten note, showing that his family cared deeply for him but simply couldn’t afford the emergency care he needed. Juice’s case is not unique — in the past week alone, 14 animals have been left at the shelter gate after hours, including some who didn’t survive the night.

Southern Pines is urging the community to understand that leaving a pet at the gate, especially one in medical distress, is extremely dangerous. The shelter has resources and a surrender process in place to ensure each animal’s safety and well-being.

“We understand that su

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