Dog abandoned in dumpster in freezing weather
Waseca, MN (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Dec 28, 2008
County: Waseca
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Ashley Dearborn
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
When Subway employee Andrew Hinna went to take out the garbage around 10:30 Sunday night the last thing he expected to see when he opened the Dumpster lid was two eyes looking back at him.
"I just opened the lid and it was growling and barking at me," he said. "It was pretty shocking."
He went back inside and called the police for help.
Waseca Police Officers Nicholas Kern and John McGuire responded and helped get the scared, brown and white rat-terrier mix out of the garbage receptacle.
"I would say this is the first animal we have found in a Dumpster that I can remember," Waseca Police Captain Penny Vought said.
The dog appeared to be healthy and had no problems walking around, according to the police report. The report goes on to say that the dog was quite calm and didn't appear to be aggressive.
The dog was taken to the Animal Medical Center of Waseca for a physical examination.
"The dog's doing fine today," Veterinarian James Rundquist said Tuesday, adding that everything checked out fine with the examination and the dog was eating and drinking normally.
Police are still trying to find the dog's owners and figure out how it ended up in the Dumpster.
Hinna said it seemed like the dog was placed in the Dumpster by someone. Police are following some leads, since the dog did not have a collar or tags.
The Waseca Police Department has dealt with abandoned pets before, and in some cases the owners don't know that they are responsible for finding someone to take care of their pets if they are unable to.
"That's part of being a responsible pet owner," Vought said.
But in this case, she's hoping they will be able track down the owner.
"I hope this story has a happy ending and we can reunite the dog with the owner," Vought said.
Case UpdatesThe dog found in a Dumpster behind Waseca's Subway restaurant on Dec. 28 remains at the Animal Medical Center and appears to be staying there for the time being.
Veterinarian James Rundquist said that the rat-terrier mix named Precious will remain in their care while the Waseca Police Department continues its investigation. A 19-year-old Waseca woman has been charged with misdemeanor animal mistreatment.
Rundquist added that since news first got out about the incident, a person wishing to remain anonymous came forward to donate $100 toward the cost of taking care of the dog. | Source: Waseca County News - Jan 14, 2009
Update posted on Jan 16, 2009 - 1:32AM |
A little over a week has passed since a dog was discovered inside a Dumpster on a cold Waseca night.
While Precious, a female rat-terrier mix, is doing well at the Animal Medical Center of Waseca, her owner faces a misdemeanor charge relating to the incident.
The dog was discovered by a Subway employee at the bottom of a Dumpster behind the restaurant around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28.
The dog was brought to the Animal Medical Center by Waseca police, where it was given a physical checkup to make sure everything was fine.
According to Police Captain Penny Vought, a 19-year-old Waseca woman has since been charged with animal mistreatment.
What happens to Precious next is up to the County Attorney's Office, Vought said.
If it's decided that the dog should remain as evidence, then Precious will remain in the care of the Animal Medical Center.
According to Police Chief Keith Hiller, Precious was intended to be in the trash bin only temporarily.
Hiller said it appeared as though there may have been an issue of having a dog in a home where pets were prohibited.
He said that the owner told police that the dog was put into the trash temporarily as a way of hiding her from the landlord.
While the owner will make her first court appearance later this month, a number of things can happen with Precious down the road.
She could be returned to the owner, or someone who knows the owner and can provide a good home for her. The other option would be to put the dog up for adoption.
Hiller said that if a pet owner is unable to take care of their animal, there are a number of options available to them, but abandonment is not one of them.
The first, and least expensive option is to find a friend or family that is willing to take in the pet.
If that doesn't work, there may be room at the Animal Medical Center, but there is a fee of $41 for someone putting their pet up for adoption.
If you have a pet you don't feel you can take care of, you should check with the Rice County Humane Society, which will take in any pet, according to Animal Medical Center Vet Tech Hayley Lines.
She said that is the easiest one to get in contact with because they have a centralized facility, as opposed to the Steele County Humane Society which is more of a collection of foster homes for pets.
Those interested in becoming a foster-pet owner in Waseca County can contact the Animal Medical Center at (507) 835-7100 for more information.
Those interested in learning more about the Rice County Humane Society can visit their Web site at www.ricecountyhumane.org. | Source: Waseca County News - Jan 5, 2009
Update posted on Jan 16, 2009 - 1:32AM |
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