On April 15, the Nebraska Humane Society revealed the suprising story.
Animal Control responded to a complaint from someone who heard an animal inside a dumpster; she initially thought it was a raccoon but was surprised to find out it was a dog.
The dog was in unbelievable shape: his head, tail, and legs were all taped together. He also allegedly had “food and other debris caked in his fur.”
“I have never seen anything like it,” responding staff member Kevin Wiederin told KETV. “The entire muzzle was taped, and then there was tape covering up the eyes and it was just sitting there and its front and back paws were taped together also.”
“I was terribly sick. “It was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen,” he remarked. “I can’t imagine doing that to another living being, let alone a helpless little dog and then just throwing it away like trash.”
It was a wonder he was discovered in time: the NHS reported that a truck arrived a half hour after Animal Control reacted to the call and emptied the bin.
The puppy was taken to the Nebraska Humane Society. He was anesthetized, and the personnel set to work removing the tape. They had to cut his fur to get rid of all the dirt.
They said on Facebook that, while the dog suffered some skin irritation, he was “otherwise healthy and seemed to be in good spirits despite his condition” and “perked up and was wagging his tail.”
With the tape removed, the personnel luckily discovered a microchip. It turned out that the dog was named Leo and had gone missing a few days previously.
Erin Dillon-Pasillas, Leo’s owner, claims the dog got out of the house while she was driving her son to school. She’d spent days fretting and visiting shelters about her missing pet.
“Each day became increasingly difficult… “It was only crickets,” she told KETV. “I was shivering while calling them. You know, you’re thinking, “Please be my dog.”
Erin was relieved to have her puppy back, but she was upset about what happened to poor Leo.
“He is the sweetest dog! “I’m not sure why anyone would do this,” she told the NHS.
Leo is now recovered from the incident, and Erin promised to give him a lovely bath and a vet check-up.
It’s unclear who did this to Leo. The NHS claims that there are no cameras near the bin where Leo was discovered. They encourage anyone with information to call Animal Services at 402-444-7800, and they are offering a $1,000 prize for information leading to an arrest.