A small dog was pushed out of an SUV and left behind in Canton, Massachusetts, earlier this month. According to Canton Animal Control, a witness reported seeing a middle-aged woman force the dog out of a silver Toyota RAV4 at around 9 a.m. on a Tuesday. Then the vehicle was gone. Nobody has been identified yet, and officials say they do not know whether the woman was the dog’s owner.

The dog is safe now, and he is being cared for by Canton Animal Control during a required 10-day stray hold. So many people have called asking to adopt him that the department has asked for patience. He was lucky someone was watching. Plenty of dogs dumped on a roadside are hit by cars, go hungry, or are never found.

Abandoning a pet is not a private choice with no consequences. Massachusetts animal cruelty law covers it, and that law only works if cases like this one are solved and charged. When someone can push a dog out of a car in broad daylight and drive away without facing anything, it tells others they can do the same.

Canton Police and Canton Animal Control should keep this investigation open until the driver is identified. The Norfolk County District Attorney should pursue every charge state law allows once she is found. Residents and businesses near the area can help right now by checking their security cameras from that morning and calling Canton Animal Control at 781-575-6507 with anything they find.

Sign the petition to demand accountability for this dog now, while footage from that morning may still exist.