Dog abandoned in Lexington pet store yet to be claimed

A dog abandoned Wednesday afternoon at Most Valuable Pets in Beaumont Centre will be held over the holidays in the hope that its owner will come forward and retrieve the animal.

Melissa Whitton, who owns the pet store, said the dog would be held by Paws for the Cause until after Jan. 1. No one has yet come forward to claim the dog.

Video posted by the store on Instagram shows a man entering the store with the dog, then dropping its leash on the floor and exiting.

Whitton said the man may not have been the actual owner of the dog. The pit bull mix had a leather collar with a nice leash and was in great shape with clean, trimmed nails, the store posted on Instagram.

“We believe the dog could have been stolen, and if this is the case we are desperate to find the true owner before the dog is adopted out,” according to the store’s Instagram.

The male dog has been placed on a hold before he’s given away for adoption if its owner does not come forward. The dog did not have identification or a chip, Whitton said.

If you know the owner of the dog, call Most Valuable Pets at 859-219-0056.

This story was originally published December 20, 2018 at 10:51 AM.