“We had no choice.”

When the employees read what the note had to say, their hearts broke.

“It is with heavy heart that we had to result to this, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we had no choice,” the note read. “This is Armando (Mando). He is 4 years old, Husky Labrador Mix. He has had his shots but might need them soon. He’s very friendly with dogs and people. He is prone to ear infections. We pray he finds a good home. God bless.”

Armando’s family, who clearly loved him so much, wanted to make sure that whoever found him knew just how special their boy was. While leaving him in the parking lot wasn’t ideal, the AHS employees could see without a shadow of a doubt that Armando had been a beloved member of his former family. Life just got in the way.

“In addition to the loving note he was left with, it was clear to see that this sweet pup was well cared for by his previous family as he appeared to be in great condition when he was found,” Kelsey Dickerson, public information officer at AHS, told The Dodo.

Armando was just as sad as his family was that he was no longer with them. He wasn’t sure what was going on, so the AHS staff did their best to help him adjust and feel safe again.

“Understandably, Armando was a bit shy and confused when he was initially discovered; however with a little time as well as lots of patience (and hot dogs!), he quickly warmed up while in the shelter,” Dickerson said. “As stated in the note he was found with, Armando is an incredibly sweet boy who loves getting attention from people and playing with other dogs.”

The shelter environment was a big change from the loving home Armando had come from — but luckily, he wasn’t there long. On Christmas Eve, Armando was adopted into his forever family, and he’s been thriving ever since.

“He has been playing nonstop with his new dog sister, and she has even been sharing ‘her couch’ with him in between playing tug-of-war in the backyard,” Dickerson said. “His new family said it’s like he has been living with them since forever.”