At 2pm on Sunday, October 15, Justin Hanley stepped outside his Philadelphia home to find a puppy tied to the rail of his front steps. The 15-week old pit bull was accompanied by a bag of half-eaten pizza and a note which read, “Please take me home. I’m a girl named Diamond. We can no longer keep her in our home. Thank you.”

Hanley took Diamond to his back patio, where he could give her some food and water. With two young children and a dog, Hanley knew he and his family wouldn’t be able to give Diamond the permanent home she needed. Instead, he sprang into action and shared the sweet pup’s story on his local East Falls Facebook group.

“Need advice/help. Somebody tied up their dog and abandoned her on my front step, with a note (attached) and a bag of pizza. Who handles abandoned/lost dogs? SPCA?? This is heartbreaking stuff,” he said in his Facebook post.

Within minutes, messages of support were pouring in, and a few hours later, Diamond had a foster home lined up.

New Jersey-based rescue organization Don’t Bully Us Rescue picked up Diamond from Hanley’s home that evening and took her straight to her new foster home – a beautiful property with a lake and another dog for Diamond to play with!

Diamond was renamed Serenity, and she has been having a great time with her loving foster parents. She is currently up for adoption through Don’t Bully Us Rescue.

Although Serenity’s story has a happy ending, too many pets face terrifying situations when they are abandoned. While it can be tempting to simply take the animal in, PSPCA spokeswoman Gillan Kocher advises would-be rescuers to call their local SPCA first.

“Our Humane Law Enforcement officers can respond to the call, or provide additional insight as to what the next steps are,” said Kocher. “We would recommend not taking the animal as a Good Samaritan, but rather allowing our officers to do their job in responding and investigating the case.”

We’re excited to see Serenity’s newfound joy continue as soon as she finds her forever home.