After fighting a wildfire in Eastern Washington, Williams Jones of Battle Ground realized that his black Lab, Hunter, had run away from the dog sitter, was picked up by an animal shelter and adopted by another family.

Although the family was reluctant to return the dog to Jones last week, they had a change of heart over the weekend, according to the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.

“Hunter has been returned to the Humane Society by his adoptive family,” the shelter announced Sunday on Facebook. “They asked us to share with our (Facebook) friends that they are deeply saddened, but understand that William needs his dog.”

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington faced a backlash on social media after the adoption came to light. The Humane Society said the dog was found earlier this month by animal control officers, and Hunter didn’t have a chip or collar to help identify him.

Jones had left Hunter with a friend, but the dog hopped a fence and ran away, Jones reported last week on social media. When he learned that the dog was at the shelter, he called the Humane Society, but “they told me that he was adopted and there’s nothing they could do about it,” Jones wrote.