They could have just been tied up for 30 seconds. I’ve done that.
Come home from a walk in which my beagle decided to roll in HUMAN FECES. No way was she coming in the house like that. I tied her outside while I went in the house to get a plastic garbage bag to wrap her in so I could get her to where she could be hosed off (and washed six times and fumigated and scrubbed and destunkified and hosed some more).
I’ve brought dogs home from extremely muddy, stinky walks involving ponds, ducks, dead deer, deer urine, etc. and have said, “No way are you going in the house, stay here while I get the hose and a towel or three.”
So the owner might not have abandoned them outside; she might just have tied them too loosely for a couple of minutes.
Possibly. Just stating my opinion.