Friday, June 2, 2006; Posted: 8:37 AM(CDT)

Warm weather and summer break, it means vacation time. For pet owners that means finding a sitter or a kennel, which can be costly. While some pay an extra few bucks, others take the easy way out, dumping their dog on the side of the street.

For one Oklahoma City dog that choice means a long road to recovery.

LuAnn Kelley, from Rotts-N-Notts, says, "People think they can dump their dog out in the country or at a lake where people go, and that someone will pick them up and live happily ever after."

Unfortunately, for dog's like Sophie, that's not what happens. Many abandoned dogs will starve, be hit by a car, or be attacked by another animal. LuAnn says it's important to remember most domesticated dogs don't know how to survive on their own.

Sophie was recently rescued from Lake Overholser. LuAnn doesn't know how long Sophie was at the lake, all she knows is it was long enough for the dog to almost starve and get several infections.

"Sophie's lucky she's still alive," LuAnn says. "The vet is very optimistic she's going to make it."

LuAnn and others from the Rotts-N-Notts rescue are trying to nurse Sophie back to health. She's just skin and bones now, and she has very little energy. However, LuAnn says she's a gentle dog who will make someone a loving pet, once she recovers.

Christy Coats, with the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter says abandonment is a big problem.

She says close to a hundred stray animals are picked up around Oklahoma City every day, adding up to more than 27,000 animals last year. That number is too many the shelter to handle, so unfortunately they are forced to euthanize many of the homeless animals.

Christy says the shelter works to find homes for the animals they take in, and they hope to become a "no-kill" shelter by 2010. She says the only way they will reach that goal is by finding people who are willing to be foster parents to the pets, and encouraging pet owners to spay or neuter the animals they currently own.

LuAnn says to think of your pet like a child. She says you wouldn't dump your child on the side of the road, so you shouldn't dump your dog either.

And to Sophie's old family, LuAnn says, "I pray for them that they don't ever do it again."

Sophie will be up for adoption soon. If you're interested in adopting her or making a donation to Rotts-N-Notts you can visit the rescue's website.

Watch the video.