Road sweepers found an abandoned dog dumped amidst bags of rubbish.
The terrified chihuahua was discovered inside a cat carrier by bins at Tesco in Beaumont Leys, Leicester.
Footage from surveillance cameras found someone taking an item, which is thought the be the cat carrier, to the back of the bins the day before, said animal welfare charity RSPCA.
Workers got in touch with the charity for help, and the 18-month-old dog wearing a pink collar was taken into its care, having been collected by a dog warden.
The pup has been named Holly, and is one of multiple pets found abandoned by their owners in similar incidents over the past few months.
According to RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal, two rabbits were found running in a road, and two cats which had been dumped, were also rescued within days of each other.
The charity is worried that the cost of living might be leading to a rise in the number of dumped animals, reports Leicestershire Live.
A total of 499 disregarded creatures were reported to the RSPCA from across Leicestershire during 2021. However, this year 401 reports had already been made across the county by August.
Two were a pair of domestic rabbits located near Roundhouse Close in Bagworth, near Coalville on Saturday October 22.
A concerned member of the public took the animals in overnight.
One of the rabbits was pregnant, but miscarried her six babies. Both animals were collected by Ms Boal, who said the pair, now named Ellie and Vince, were doing well in the charity's care.
On the same day two cats were also found dumped, in one carrier, in Syston. The grey cats were both wearing collars but had not been microchipped.
A check-up at the vet found both were in healthy condition despite their ordeal. The RSCPA named the cats, Velvet and Whisky.
Investigations into all the incidents are ongoing.
Braced for an increase in the number of abandoned pets, the animal charity has launched an online hub to help pet owners manage during the cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Boal said: “Sadly, dealing with abandoned animals is part of the job as an inspector at the RSPCA - but to have so many abandoned animals in such a short period of time makes me despair.
"Fortunately for all these animals, they were found and are now being kept warm and safe - but they could easily have ended up being injured or killed.
"While we understand, sadly, circumstances can change for people as a result of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, there is still never an excuse to abandon an animal. There are always other options for anyone who has fallen on hard times and can no longer afford to keep their pet.
"These animals were all scared and frightened by their ordeals, and it’s just unthinkable that someone could do this to an animal who was once part of a family. I'm keen to hear from anyone who may know who is responsible for abandoning these animals in such an irresponsible way."
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area or has any information that could assist the RSPCA’s investigation is asked to contact the charity’s appeal line, confidentially, on 0300 123 8018.
