The number of pets who are left by their owners at a shelter confused and distressed is staggering.

Around 6.5 million pets are dumped like a bag of trash every year in the U.S. and half of those animals are dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Thankfully these animals do find new homes but only half of them, the other half face a lifetime alone cooped up in a small space or worse still have to be put down to make way for other dumped animals that have a better chance of being adopted.

The life of a shelter animal is far better than if they were roaming the streets but they still don’t get the attention, love and exercise they deserve. So many of these dogs would make another family so happy.

An image of a dog waiting to be adopted at a shelter in New Mexico went viral with many stating it was the saddest picture they had ever seen.

Looking completely broken by her situation at the High Plains Humane Society (HPHS) in Portales, New Mexico, the image captured the hearts of animal lovers around the world.

The photo of the sad dog showed the true feeling of loneliness these animals experience when they get dumped with strangers at a shelter.

It looks like a tear is coming from her eye as she grips the bars of her cage and looks up at the camera.

Animal experts pointed out that this can’t be a tear as dogs don’t shed tears when they are sad, rather they make a whelping noise, but her picture was still shared by thousands who were moved by her plight.

Offers of adoption came flooding in and in just one day this depressed dog was adopted by a loving family and her tears were replaced with a look of pure joy.

The shelter shared a before and after adoption picture giving us all hope that there are some happy endings for these abandoned pooches.

We all need to remember that owning a dog is a big responsibility and not one that should be taken lightly. No animal should have to experience the distress of being dumped.

Please share if you agree.