Woman who left Kai the Shar Pei dog tied to station railings with his belongings explains why
The woman did not want the dog after she saw it was different to the advert
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A dog was abandoned and tied to a railing outside a train station with a small suitcase of his belongings because the sale of the pet had fallen through, a woman involved in the failed transaction claims.
Kai, a Shar Pei crossbreed, was discovered at Ayr Station in Scotland last Friday with a wheeled suitcase packed with his food, toys, bowl and a pillow. The images posted on social media sparked a flurry of offers from around the world to rehome him.
A JustGiving page was also set up to raise funds for Kai, real name said to be Pluto, who needed an operation on his eyelids. It has raised more than £3,800 and surplus money will be spent on looking after other animals too.
The dog, whose story is reminiscent of the well-loved Paddington Bear but without the note around the neck asking “Please look after this bear. Thank you”, has been cared for by the Scottish SPCA since he was found on 2 January.
Fin Rayner, 39, told the Daily Record that she travelled with her daughter from her home in Aberdeenshire to Ayr to collect him after seeing him advertised on Gumtree however when she arrived she found that the dog was different to the one pictured in the online advertisement.
She told the newspaper: “The guy rushed out with a food chest and lead on the dog.
“I said I wanted to take the dog for a walk, so he asked me for £150 as a deposit in case I didn’t come back. Then I saw him tearing off in his car. I phoned and said ‘You better come back for your dog’. He never turned up.”
Ms Rayner added that she had considered taking the abandoned dog back with her to Aberdeen, however she said she made up her mind not to after her son phoned and said the picture in the advert was from America and was taken in 2005.
“I said to a member of staff it was somebody else’s dog. I said, ‘I’m just going to tie him up out there’, and I did that,” she claimed.
She said she made sure the dog was safe before leaving and that she had panicked and had to leave quickly as she and her nine-year-old asthmatic daughter needed to make the last train back to Aberdeen.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments