A Tennessee dog owner left their pet in a high-kill animal shelter because he believed it was ‘gay’.

The shelter urged people to save the dog, whose name is unknown, and adopt it before it was due to be put down.

According to the owner of the shelter Jackson Rabies Control, the dog’s master noticed him ‘hunched over’ another male dog, which led him to assume he was gay.

While dogs are known to sometimes favor dogs of the same-sex, animal experts say a male dog mounting another male dog is not typically a sign of sexual orientation but rather a sign of dominance.

The dog’s story sparked a frantic appeal among animal lovers to find a new owner before it’s too late.

Jackson Euthanasia, a group who posted the picture of the dog on Facebook, said: ‘Even if that weren’t the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard, it’s still discrimination!

‘Don’t let this gorgeous dog die bc his owner is ignorant of normal dog behavior!

The story has a happy ending, as it is believed the dog was given to a loving home at 9am today.

Tennessee is the place where the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is back for debate, where teachers would be banned from saying ‘gay’ and would require them to out students.

Biologists say homosexual behavior can be found in over 1,500 animals, and is well documented in at least 500 different species.