When an officer from the Lynnwood Police Department in Washington responded to a call to a dumpster, he couldn’t believe what he found: two tiny puppy dog eyes staring back at him.
A resident of an apartment complex called police on November 11 after hearing a dog crying in the dumpster, Commander Joseph Dickinson of the Lynnwood Police Department told Newsweek. The department is unsure how long the puppy—now named Oscar—was left in the dumpster, but they expect it to be recent, as it was mostly empty.
The pup looked up with his giant eyes. He was scared, cold, and covered in debris, the department said in a Facebook post about the rescue, along with photos of the officers holding Oscar.
“The officer who responded was shocked to find a puppy in the dumpster, jumped in the dumpster, and used his body heat to warm Oscar up,” Dickinson said. “It was a bit chilly. The officer then stood in the dumpster holding Oscar until another officer could arrive so he could hand the pup off before climbing out.”
Oscar won over the department’s hearts instantly. The officers took him to the vet, who suspected he was less than a year old and a Chihuahua or a mix. Oscar then hung out at the station until one of the officers clocked out and took him home.
Dickinson said the officer will foster Oscar for 30 days. She plans to adopt him if no one comes forward claiming ownership. Until that time comes, Oscar has been enjoying a luxurious home life.
“The trash pup king has officially settled into his new forever home with his foster mom, one of our own LPD officers,” Dickinson said. “He’s safe, spoiled, and soaking up every bit of love he can get.”
One look at Oscar’s photo made Facebook users melt, and as of Thursday, the post had 18,000 likes, 1,800 comments and 996 shares.
“Oscar should be your office mascot now,” said one user, while another person commented, “Very sad that he was left on the dumpster. Thank you for rescuing him.”
Many were obsessed with the dog’s name, suspecting it came from Oscar the Grouch, since he was found in a dumpster.
As for identifying who left the pup in the dumpster, Dickinson said there are no new leads. There was no camera in the area, and no witnesses have come forward. And with no microchip, the officers have hit a dead end.
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