Man finds dog left in crate inside trash dumpster

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A 2-month-old puppy is on the road to recovery after he was rescued from a dumpster.

The man who found the little dog inside a crate among the trash. He named the dog Trooper and cared for him for a couple of days before turning the sad-eyed puppy over to volunteers who took it to the vet and got it checked out.

Now the good Samaritans are searching for the person who threw Trooper away.

"I can't even fathom this happened," said Veronica Lee.

Lee was contacted by the man who found Trooper inside a dumpster at an apartment complex near Bell and 7th Street.

"He found a live animal sticker on a crate with a puppy inside that was barely able to hold his head up," said Lee.

The vet estimates the puppy spent at least one night in the dumpster surrounded by trash. Luckily it's in good condition.

"There's an animal abuser out there, this is not the case of a stray dog, this is I hate you enough to throw you away... it was barely able to hold its head up until today, it does have his head up and tail is wagging which is a good sign," said Lee.

Lee believes the dog is an 8-week-old border-collie mix that weighs only four pounds. She says she notified police about the case and plans to go back to the complex where he was discovered. She hopes to help investigators track down the person who threw Trooper away.

Trooper is now being fostered until he's well enough to be adopted where he will eventually be turned over to a local rescue.