A one-day-old puppy has been rescued after being found dumped and weighed down in a park bin in Derby.
A runner heard distressed noises coming from a plastic bag within the bin and took the dog to a local vets where he is being looked after.
Helen Cooper told ITV: “It’s absolutely disgusting. Even if the owners had a dog that got pregnant accidentally and they couldn’t afford to keep the puppies, there’s no need to put a living thing into a bin. No reason. It’s awful.”
Ms Cooper said it was only by chance she deviated from her usual running route and came across the pup. As a dog owner herself she decided to take action.
The male puppy is thought to be a spaniel or a cockapoo and is “doing well,” ITV reported, under the care of Scarsdale Vets.
Another slice of fortune was that the bins around the park were in the process of being emptied by the local authorities and the one that the dog was found in was the last to be.
An elderly couple searched the other bins but did not find any other puppies.
Ms Cooper said it was not initially obvious from inspecting the bin what the noise was or where it was coming from but further rooting around uncovered the truth.
She added: “I heard a noise and thought: what’s that? At first I thought I’d just leave it and carry on. I did actually go to walk off but I thought: no, something doesn’t feel right.”
“I just scooped him up and walked home. I think I was in shock. You don’t go out and expect to find that.”
She shared the story on Facebook and was swamped with messages asking about the welfare of the pup.
“It’s amazing,” Ms Cooper added. “It’s weird and crazy that it is OK considering how I found it. I’d love to be able to follow his journey to a happy ending.
"Hopefully I get to find out. I don’t think he’ll be struggling to find a forever home with his little story. He’s gorgeous. I’m just glad he’s safe."
Derbyshire Police can be contacted on 101.
