He Was Only Allowed Out Of The Basement On Weekends

You'll forgive Aneo for being a bit in the dark about the way things work in life.

He's never been crate trained. He knows no commands. He isn't housebroken.

He never had a chance.

For most of his life, Aneo's sole domain was a basement, according his admission profile at Animal Care & Control of New York City.

The basement was where he tore up bags, barked at unknown noises above his head - and piled up feces.

The pit bull mix was a present, gifted when he was just 2 weeks old. He soon became the ultimate throwaway, banished to the basement.

Except for Saturdays and Sundays, when he was allowed outside to see the light of day.

Maybe that's why Aneo, despite the staggering deprivation he endured, kept a light on in his heart.

When his owner finally surrendered Aneo to Animal Care & Control of New York Citythree years later, he didn't seem like a dog who spent most of his life underground.

"Aneo is a big grey teddy bear," wrote an animal control staffer in an adoption profile after meeting him. "He is such a sweet tempered, calm and patient dog. When he takes a treat from you he does so with the utmost delicacy and he walks like a gentleman on the leash."

There is, however, a glaring tic in Aneo's personality, the staffer notes: "He really, really does not like to be returned to his kennel after a walk."

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Indeed, for a dog who only greeted the sun on weekends, returning to the kennel must have felt like a life sentence.

Only Aneo was sentenced to death.

It's not like there are many options for a 3-year-old dog who never learned the basics of life. And although the city-funded New York City Animal Control doesn't turn away any animals, the sheer numbers result in some 6,000 dogs being euthanized every year.

Make no mistake. Aneo needs work. Essentially, all the work his errant owner chose not to put into his "present."

Editor's note: Aneo is no longer available for adoption.