This adorable puppy was rescued by garbage collectors after it was thrown into a dumpster

The local binmen in Columbus, Ohio were doing their job when suddenly they noticed something alive in one of the dumpsters full of rubbish. They soon realised that it wasn’t a wild animal but was in fact a puppy and did everything they could to save it.

Thrown out like trash

Dave Carlson was the worker on duty who discovered that someone had thrown out a 6-month-old puppy like it was a piece of trash. The puppy was desperately trying to climb over the mountain of rubbish it was buried under to reach the top for air.

As soon as Carlson saw the puppy, he called his supervisor Logan Sieg who joined him at the apartment complex to climb inside the dumpster and rescue the pup.

Logan told 10TV:

It's shocking seeing a dog in the dumpster. It was upsetting to see someone just throw it in there and get rid of it like that.

After rescuing the puppy, the pair got in touch with Franklin County Dog Shelter. While they waited for the shelter to respond, the City of Columbus wrote on a poster:

While waiting for Franklin County, the puppy was given water and peanut butter crackers and the opportunity to explore our station.

The puppy was quickly adopted

It only took a few weeks for Riley to be adopted by a new loving family. The Franklin County Dog Shelter shared on Facebook that Riley, who had been renamed Duke, had been adopted. They wrote:

We are happy to share with you that 6-month-old Riley has been adopted and is doing great in his forever home.

Thank you to all who helped rescue Riley, to his adopters and to our community for their continued support. Together, we can make a BIG difference in the lives of those who cannot speak for themselves.

Read more:

⋙ Dog who spent his entire life in a shelter gets rejected on his adoption day

⋙ This dog who is fighting against cancer performed an act of heroism

⋙ Dog owners could face a massive fine for this simple mistake