PHILADELPHIA — Animal shelter workers in Pennsylvania said they were heartbroken when a dog was found outside its Philadelphia facility, tied to a pole with a note that said she was a “good puppy.”

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“On the day Minerva was abandoned outside of our shelter, we literally had to wipe away the tears from her eyes,” the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wrote in a Facebook post on May 10. “We have no doubt she was terrified, and we were heartbroken.”

However, shelter officials said they were ready to “turn the page” for the nearly 5-month-old dog, who is now available for adoption.

The SPCA said the dog, whom they named Minerva, was left outside its Philadelphia headquarters overnight on May 7, tied to a pole.

The Cane Corso pit mastiff had a note accompanying her that read she was born on Dec. 15, The Centre Daily Times reported.

“Good Puppy. House Broken. Don’t Have A Name.”

“When our staff found her, she appeared healthy but had discharge from her eyes that made her look as if she had been crying,” the SPCA wrote in its initial Facebook post on May 10. “Our hearts broke for her. She was so terrified. But she was safe with us now.”

Shelter workers believe the dog was likely abandoned “by the only family she has known,” adding that this was becoming more common.

“We are seeing the frequency of dogs abandoned on our property rise,” the SPCA wrote. “We are witnessing owner surrenders increasing. It may go without saying that adoptions have slowed down significantly.”

More details about the shelter’s adoption process can be found at pspca.org.

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