Animal lovers' hearts have broken for a "scared" dog abandoned at a shelter along with her entire wardrobe.

Ziggy the dog had been a beloved pet, but when her owner became elderly and sick, they were no longer able to care for her, Saving Sage Animal Rescue Foundation staff member Michelle Reichler told Newsweek.

"As is often the case, the family was unwilling to assume her care and she was surrendered with a whole wardrobe," Reichler explained. "This is a story that plays out daily in every rescue everywhere, on a large scale."

A video of Ziggy attempting to adapt to a new life in the shelter has gone viral, with the Saving Sage, based in Florida, receiving a huge amount of applications for the scared and nervous pup.

Shared on TikTok account @_thatdoggirl_ on December 5, it showed Ziggy huddled in a crate with large, scared eyes, wearing the pink tutu she had been left with.

The user, Dali, wrote across the video: "She got surrendered to the shelter in her tutu dress with her entire wardrobe in a trash bag."

Dali's short but powerful clip had a huge response, having been viewed over 1.4 million times, as animal lovers commented in their thousands, with one saying: "If she has a wardrobe, someone loved her dearly, how sad."

"Poor baby," another said. "What the heck happened? Who would do this?"

Some hit out at her previous owner, but as one pointed out: "She was loved. We don't know what the other person is going through that they had to make that hard decision. It's so sad."

Reichler echoed that sentiment, having explained Ziggy's owner had become too old and unwell to care for their dog any longer. For now, she said, Ziggy is "in foster with a neighbor of mine" but is currently "extremely nervous and scared."

"Once she decompresses, she will be fine I'm sure," she added.

Ziggy's video going viral has led to major interest in the pup, as Reichler told Newsweek they are "sorting through MANY applications" to adopt her.

"We think she will do best in a nice calm home, preferably no screaming kids," Reichler said, adding that Ziggy's foster carer may even end up keeping the sweet dog.

And as a small bonus, she revealed: "We are happy to give all of her clothes to her new adopter!"

Each year, around 3.1 million dogs enter animal shelters across the United States, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

But some have a happy ending, as the ASPCA reports 2 million dogs, as well as 2.1 million cats, are adopted each year.

Newsweek has contacted @_thatdoggirl_ on TikTok for comment on this story.

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