Do you know what DOG ESSENTIALS you are missing out? Find out now!
Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.
A dog nicknamed Tobi was abandoned at a pet grooming shop in Comas, Peru, in August 2025. A young man brought him to Mi Pataza Petshop on August 9 and asked for a bath.
He paid in advance and left a contact number, then never came back. When staff called, they found the number didn’t belong to him.
From that day on, Tobi stayed by the shop’s front door, as if waiting for his family to return. Staff say he became anxious and had trouble sleeping.
Every time the door opened, he tried to run out to look for them. Staff sometimes had to tie him up so he wouldn’t get lost.
They described him as calm and affectionate. Some witnesses told the shop this wasn’t the first time Tobi had been abandoned.
Photos and videos of him sitting by the entrance went viral within hours. They drew messages of support, anger, and dozens of offers to adopt him, including from people in other countries.
The shop said it would screen applicants carefully, since it wanted a responsible home. At that point staff said he was eating and sleeping a little better but still showed the effects of being abandoned.
A family from the same area ended up adopting him, and the shop announced it on Instagram. He also gained a dog sibling to play with.
The family committed to veterinary care, space to play, and the company of another dog. The shop said it plans to keep sharing updates on his progress.
In Peru, abandoning a dog is a crime under Law 30407. Article 206-A of the Penal Code treats it as mistreatment, punishable by up to three years in prison and fines.
My thoughts:
The detail that stands out is the fake phone number. Paying in advance and leaving a number made this look like a normal grooming drop-off, which means the abandonment was planned from the start.
It’s also hard to read about Tobi waiting at the door and trying to bolt every time it opened. That kind of behavior is a reminder that dogs don’t understand being dumped, they just keep waiting.
The ending depended on a shop that did the right thing. Staff kept him, posted his story, and screened adopters instead of handing him to the first offer.
Source: Infobae Peru, reporting by Valeria Mendoza Talledo, based on posts from Mi Pataza Petshop
