an abandoned owl

So what's the story here?  This plush owl was lying on the verge near the reservoir.  Clearly he'd been dropped.  But did no one notice at the time?  Did no one hear the fevered, desperate sounds of Mommy, mommy MOMMY - OWL! OWL!   Did they all just carry on walking?  When they got to the car, or arrived home, did no one say - but WHERE'S OWL?  And we were walking, ourselves, for maybe half an hour, and the plush snowy bird was still there on our return.  I hope that he found his way home - or if not, into some new loving hands.  It was unbelievably sad seeing this abandonment ...