Might be going beyond the point of animal reasoning, but nice sentiments, and good capture, though a landscape orientation might better show the emotion drwn through the photo.
Douglas

I like the comp, it makes the dog look very small and alone in a big world. I think it conveys your message well.

good shot, in a perfect world the perspective would be correct, but a T/S isn't exactly convenient.

going to give my pup a big hug tonight when I finally get home from work

Your thoughts and the lump in my throat that they produced are why all our dogs have been rescued dogs. They are the best companions!

Thanks guys.

I think we get more emotional over animals than humans sometimes.

I think that animals (dogs in particular) are similar to children, in that they look to us for leadership, protection, and care - rewarding us with their affection. Both are generally helpless and dependent upon adults - which makes them vulnerable. Unfortunately, some of those adults either don't have the wherewithall to care for them or worse view them as a tool to get out their frustrations.

My dogs have always been rescues as well, and my current rottie mix came from the streets of Philadelphia, and could have easily met a horrific fate had she been found by the wrong people.

Your story is heartbreaking. Our 3-year-old boxer, Nico, was 48 hours from being put down in a shelter when he was rescued. We adopted him last April from the group that rescued him. He is the light of my life. Love him to bits. I won't talk about irresponsible humans who have no regard for animal beings. Nice photo of a sad occurrence.

A powerful image. It evokes emotion. That's important in photography.