Update 5/24/2025: King’s adoption profile states that he has been rescued! Thank you for networking on his behalf.
Jurupa Valley, CA – In what may be one of the saddest photos you will see today, a senior German shepherd faces a stark animal control wall, despondent after his family of nine years surrendered him to the Riverside County Animal Control agency. The senior dog, King, was surrendered to the facility in March and today, he waits for whatever fate may hold.
His advocate explains the sad situation, writing:
King Was Their Puppy—His Only Crime Was Growing Old 💔
He was adopted from this very shelter as a bouncy pup, full of life. Now, nine years later, they brought him back—old, limping, and heartbroken. He’s been sleeping on cold concrete for 50 days, his aching legs folded under a body that once ran with joy.
He doesn’t bark. He doesn’t beg. He simply waits. Quietly. With dignity. As if he knows… the end is near.
King—a large, majestic German Shepherd—sits hunched in the corner of a tiled kennel. His back faces us. His head leans into the wall, utterly still. The tiles are sterile, impersonal, cold. There’s no warmth, no comfort, no softness beneath him—just the hard floor that’s been his only companion for weeks. His entire posture screams abandonment. It’s a portrait of despair.
King has done nothing to deserve his cruel fate. He gave the best years of his life to a family who cared nothing for him. Please share King’s adoption information and help him find a new, loyal and loving owner – before it is too late.
Behavior: Dog-friendly, calm, gentle
Time in Shelter: 50 days
History: Adopted from this shelter as a puppy—dumped back as a senior.
ID#A1321709
Name: King
Located At: Riverside County Animal Control – Riverside Shelter
Description: I am a male, 59.70 lbs, black and tan German Shepherd Dog.
Age: The shelter staff think I am about 9 years old.
More Info: I have been at the shelter since Mar 31, 2025.
I am an at-risk animal. Please contact the shelter for more information.
Senior dog with arthritic changes affecting both hips (left more severely affected than right). Remains social with staff. Has had kennelmates. Transferdas@rivco.org
Shelter information
Jurupa Valley, CA 92509
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14 Comments
Humans are monsters and this story proves it. There are hundreds of stories like this every time I open my computer.
HOW CAN SOMEONE DO THIS DISGUSTING, HORRIBLE, AND CRUEL THING TO THEIR PET AFTER 9 YEARS!!!
OR AT ‘ ANYTIME’????
THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL HAS A BADLY BROKEN HEART AND SPIRIT!!!!
THESE MONSTERS SHOULD BE LOCKED UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY!!!
THEY ARE NO GOOD TO SOCIETY OR ANYONE!!
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!!!
These Heartless people will do there parents the same way .
Actually, people can no longer shock me, because they are capable of anything. However, I wonder how these people manage to abandon this dog after 9 years. During this time, you build up such a close bond with the animal that it doesn’t seem possible to me that they would be able to abandon it. At least that’s how I feel. I have two 12.5-year-old German shepherds from animal welfare. I wouldn’t give either dog away even if I was given 1 billion euros or the entire fortune of the world. For one very simple reason: I couldn’t. There would only be one reason to give them up: If I had the certain feeling that they would rather live somewhere else.
These HEARTLESS owners probably dropped off this sweet innocent dog and then turned and bought a puppy. Once their dog gets old, this is what they do???!!! HEARTLESS AND CRUEL!!! Did they even once consider this dog feelings? Obviously they didn’t!!! SELFISH PEOPLE ONLY THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR OWN FEELINGS AND CONVENIENCES.
1 month supply of Cosequin DS joint health: $35
1 month supply of Carprofen flavored tabs (generic Rimadyl for pain) $40.
Being a decent human being: Priceless.
My rescue Shepherd was 6 yrs old when I rescued her from a California shelters death row.
She had been sleeping on concrete for over a month in the shelter.
She was described as mildly arthritic. She had 6 years with me, having no more issues with arthritis.
Now that she is 12 yrs old, she has become quite arthritic, but with some simple meds & supplements she is quite fine!
German Shepherds with severely arthritic hips can also have an issue with pooping in their sleep, but the joint support & pain relief stopped that. She also takes Heart Gard monrhly for heartworm & intestinal parasites. (She likes to eat grass, and our grass seems to have more parasites than most placed!)
Before we got on Heart Gard, she had constant bouts with diarrhea. I found that making her dinner with 1/3 white rice, and adding the supplement “Stool Fix” from Amazon made a huge difference.
On the advice of my vet, I switched to Purina Pro Plan for Seniors, which also helped her digestive issues. Even though I was feeding her Dog Chow and Pedigree, the main ingredient was CORN! Pro Plan is more expensive, but it made a huge difference in her health.
I hope this advice helps other dog owners! Just because a dog is showing signs of arthritis, there is no reason to give up hope. There are also financial tools that can help, such as applying for CareCredit (a credit card for medical expenses), and the AFFIRM APP, which are easy to qualify for and will let you make payments on a purchase like these!
I do hope karma finds these and they spend their oen late years sitting in their own mess, with gaping bedsores, and carers who slap them if they ask for anything. Theyve taught their kids to throw the old away so this will be where they themselves will end up, and deservedly so. Karma is patient, but it will find them
If I had a faithful senior dog with old age pains I’d never ever turn it over to a rescue!! I’d love and continue to spoil it and when I felt it was time I’d stay by its side as it was humanely euthanized! All those days suffering in a kennel poor poor dog!!
J’espère un jour que les enfants des propriétaires qui ont abandonné le chien, subiront le même sort par leurs enfants
The vile people who betrayed this beautiful dog MUST be banned from ever adopting another dog again. They should be ashamed of themselves. My heart breaks for this sweet senior. I live in a small apartment on the east coast with four cats but if I could get him out of that shelter to a safe place, I would. Has the staff and this hellhole made any effort to reach out to NO KILL shelters? I always encourage older folks to adopt senior animals since it’s easier and less stressful for those involved.
Please someone step up and protect this gentle boy.
There’s a place in hell for the family responsible. I hope that one day they experience the same level of abandonment. God bless that innocent pup who gave them love and loyalty that they didn’t deserve for all those years.
Please don’t glorify hell. So many people revel in its horrible existence.
Are you fucking kidding me! They dump this beautiful baby because he’s getting older?! Those stupid fuckers I hope they die in a most horrific painful manner possible! Animals are not disposable! Their family! They matter! I fucking hate people like this where they’re self-centered little fuckers think nothing about dumping fur babies because they’re getting old and going out and getting another one! You know what assholes you’re going to get old too fuckers! And I hope the hell you suffer when you die! In the meantime, I hope this little one finds a forever home that will love him forever they are extremely loyal kids!!?
100% right Sister Mary!
These so-called humans are just selfish arrogant bastards who just treat animals as expendable and disposable A dog especially, becomes a family member after a short time, not to be got rid of just because fuckers like this decide they don’t want it anymore. Doge especially, have more emotional feelings than humans and is why the dog is sitting facing the wall not understanding WHY the bastard owners have discarded it and what it had done wrong. These ‘non-caring pieces of shit need a visit from an Animal Activist group to teach the motherfucks the error of their ways. I really WOULD like to pay these fuckers a visit myself and introduce them to my friend ‘coke- hammer!!
Just to mention, it has been used before to help explain to a couple of animal torturing bastards that animal torture really does not pay.
J.W. —- U.K.