This is one sad case with an improbably happy ending.

Rescuers found Scooter the dog tied to a dumpster, along with a note saying “Free pup…owner went to jail today.

The dog had clearly been well taken care of, and was left with expensive food and accessories.

Further investigation revealed that the jailed owner had actually left Scooter with “friends” who were supposed to care for him. Instead, these cold-hearted people simply abandoned him at the dumpster.

Rescuers tracked down the owner’s mother, and Scooter was driven from South Carolina to her Colorado home for a happy reunion.

There is now an arrest warrant for the people suspected of abandoning poor Scooter.

Thank you, rescuers, for working so hard to deliver Scooter to a loving home!