PRESCOTT, Wis. — Evan Strand and his girlfriend made a Facebook post asking for help finding the man who surrendered their now furry friend Willie at the Animal Humane Society in Woodbury.
Strand and his girlfriend went to the Humane Society on Oct. 22 in search of a dog that would help teach their new puppy how to be calm and behave.
They came across Willie who seemed calm, collected and like "such a big sweetheart."
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They took him for a walk and knew they could not leave without him.
While they were signing the adoption papers, Strand said they were told that an elderly man who was going to hospice had surrendered Willie.
"Willie is a very loving and well trained dog, this leads me to believe his owner was attached to him and would appreciate being able to see him again and know that he made it to a good home," Strand said in a Facebook post.
Strand told KARE 11 he hoped the message got out in time so he can visit the previous owner with Willie and let him know their friend is in a loving home.
His Facebook post went viral and reached the family of the previous owner.
Strand told KARE 11 that family of the previous owner reached out to him after seeing the post and informed him that the man has passed since.
Strand sent a statement that reads as follows:
I was contacted by a family member of the man who owned Willie and informed that he has passed since the surrendering of Willie. We are saddened to hear of the man’s passing and our hearts go out to the family. We would like to thank everyone who shared the post on Facebook, there was an incredibly overwhelming response of people being so supportive of us and trying to help in every way possible to get us in contact with the previous owner. We would like the family to know that Willie is in a fantastic home, he is loved, and he has a new best friend, Waylon!
What to know when adopting a dog:
