WATCH: Erin Kelly reports on the shocking discovery and loss of a young pit bull puppy in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Portsmouth, Virginia resident George Theus was taken by surprise when he looked in the commercial dumpster he was using for his home renovation last Thursday.
“When I raised myself up there, there was a puppy in there that I thought was a possum or some other kind of animal,” Theus told NBC affiliate WAVY News. “And then when I assessed it, it was a little grey pit bull in a cage.”
Portsmouth Police Animal Control Officer Brenda Quintana said she was shocked by the condition of the five to six-week-old dog.
“’Dear Lord, look at that puppy.’ That’s all that just kept going through my head,” she recalled. “It’s just heinous. It’s unnecessary.”
Det. Misty Holley told Global News that the puppy, who they named Thia in honour of the man who rescued her, was taken to an animal hospital. Officers had a hard time getting her to eat or drink. She weighed only two pounds and was extremely emaciated.
Once transferred to the Portsmouth Humane Society, Thia eventually drank one bottle of baby formula.
She died overnight.
A cause of death is yet to be determined but a necropsy is being conducted.
Theus’ neighbour Daisy Holloway was shocked that whoever discarded Thia didn’t consider taking her to a shelter or knock on a resident’s door.
“We would have taken it somewhere so it could have gotten some care if they didn’t want to keep it,” she said. “But to toss it in the dumpster, it was like tossing a baby in there and that was horrible.”
Police are appealing to the public for any tips about the puppy and are hoping that they will be able to identify her owner.
“She was in one of those wire dog crates with a plastic bottom, which shows me that someone was the owner,” Det. Holley told Global News.
If found, the suspect will be charged with animal cruelty and animal abandonment, with possibly more charges once the necropsy results are available.
Police are offering a $1,000 cash reward for tips leading to an arrest. PETA is offering an additional $2,500.
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