Abandoned dog Libby is found with words 'free' and 'I need a home' scrawled on her with permanent marker

Shannon Bettencourt found the pooch dumped under a tree in Benicia, California on July 3



She said the dog, who she named Libby, came from a good home because it was well-behaved

Bettencourt and her fiance Chris Franco have applied to adopt Libby

Police are working to track down the pup's original owners

An abandoned dog was found shivering under a tree with the words 'free' and 'I need a home' scrawled on its head and body in black marker.

The precious pooch was sitting alone on the side of a Benicia, California street on July 3 when passerby Shannon Bettencourt spotted her.

The restaurant worker couldn't believe a dog in such good health would be dumped.



'She was scared, shaking, and kind of whimpering,' Bettencourt told NBC. 'I was heart broken, it was really sad. Nobody wants to see an animal like that ever.'

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Heartbreaking: This abandoned dog was found with the words 'free' and 'I need a home' scrawled on it in permanent marker in downtown Benicia, California, last week. Devastating: Shannon Bettencourt just finished work in downtown Benicia, California, on July 3 when she saw the dog standing by a tree with the words 'I need a home' written on its head Worried that animal control officers would take the pup if she called police, Bettencourt took it home, 8 News NOW reported. After a night of bonding, she named the canine 'Libby' - short for Liberty as she found the pup the day before Fourth of July.

'(The dog) was obviously well taken care of, you could have easily found a home for a dog like this if you really gave it half an effort,' Bettencourt's fiance, Christopher Franco, told NBC.



The couple said they tried to track down the dog's owners through Facebook, without luck.



'The first night I let her sleep in the bed with me because I knew she needed something and she just slept on my stomach the whole night,' Bettencourt told NBC.



Kindhearted: California couple Christopher Franco (left with the dog) and Shannon Bettencourt (right) have named the found dog Libby and plan to adopt her



Well-trained: Shannon Bettencourt who found the abandoned dog (pictured) named her Libby and said she was well-mannered and liked to play with other dogs

Bettencourt told WSOC-TV it was particularly difficult to understand why Libby was dumped because she appeared healthy, well-trained and liked to play with other dogs.

Bettencourt plans to formally adopt Libby this week.

'Somebody just kind of treated her like trash but she ended up being my treasure,' Bettencourt told WSOC-TV.



'It was actually kind of a blessing in disguise, even though it was very sad to start with.'



Meanwhile Benicia Police Department say the original owner could face dog abandonment charges and have asked that witnesses call cops.



Precious pooch: The Benicia Police Department says Libby the dog's original owner could face abandonment charges