When ARL Animal Services officers responded to call about a dog in a dumpster on the Fourth of July, they arrived to find Des Moines Police frantically pulling trash out looking for what sounded like a puppy crying. With temps in the upper 80s and the puppy sounding so young, we knew we had to act fast, so the ARL officers climbed into the dumpster and began quickly moving trash out. Finally, after digging through layers of garbage and removing half of a broken door, they spotted the tiny puppy at the very bottom and lifted her to safety.
We have no idea how long the puppy was there, but she is only about 3 weeks old and clearly was not doing well. We called our on-call veterinarian and rushed the puppy back to the ARL, where we gave her subcutaneous fluids for dehydration, along with high-calorie nutritional supplements, and tried to get her to bottle-feed. She had a tough time with the bottle and her condition was poor, but we knew we had to give her a chance.
Even though it was a holiday, one of our surgical technicians picked up the puppy for an emergency foster so we could give her round-the-clock care in the hopes of saving her life. We named the puppy Liberty, and keeping her stable has been a struggle, but we are seeing signs of hope. She is now eating better and has perked up more … but she is still very young and has a long road ahead.
It is unimaginable that anyone could look at this sweet puppy and just throw her away.
Your donation today will provide lifesaving care and rehabilitation for the most vulnerable animals. Liberty was treated like literal trash, but you can give the gift of hope today for her and other pets who need immediate help.
Whether you make a one-time donation or choose to give monthly, you’ll be the miracle that Liberty and others need.
P.S.: When you give today or join our Loyal Friends Club, you’ll automatically be enrolled to receive updates on Liberty.
The investigation in this case is ongoing. If you have any information on this puppy or this situation, please email animalabuse@arl-iowa.org.
