Garbage Man Saves Dog He Found Inside Dumpster: ‘She Could’ve Gotten Crushed’

A Virginia garbage man was doing his normal Friday morning rounds when he made a heartbreaking discovery. A dog had been abandoned inside the dumpster. And, if not for his keen eye, could have been crushed moments later.

Jermaine Jackson loves his job. For 26 years, he’s worked for Waste Management where he’s tasked with hauling away the things that people no longer want. On a rainy Friday morning, however, he made a heartbreaking discovery inside a dumpster.

Jackson is also a dog lover with two dogs of his own. So, when he’d already lifted the dumpster in Old Towne Petersburg and was just about to dump it into his truck, he was saddened to see a dog looking back at him from inside.

“I think somebody threw her in there because where the dock is at, she’s too short to jump on that dock,” he recalled. Jackson quickly discovered she was sweet and gentle. “It’s kind of sad because she’s sitting there with a sad face like get me out of here,” he told WTVR. “If I didn’t see her, she’d be in the back of the truck right now or she could have gotten crushed.” He lifted her out of the dumpster and called Animal Control. Animal Control was not yet open, so Jackson built a makeshift shelter for the friendly dog.

Eventually, the dog wandered to Frances Verschuure’s front porch a few blocks away. “We got some blankets. We got some food. We got some water and called animal control. So in the meantime, we just sat out here with her. She was as sweet as she could be.” When Animal Control arrived, they informed Verschuure that the abandoned dog had clearly recently given birth.

“They did say she was full of milk and so she would have recently had puppies,” Verschuure told. We were glad to get her to another home. Animal control was as just as gentle and kind as they could be, and I hope she finds a good home.”

Jackson was grateful to hear she’d been found and brought to safety. But, he’s saddened by the experience.

“I got two dogs of my own, and I could never think about throwing them in the trash can just because I couldn’t take care of them,” he said. “You wouldn’t want nobody to throw you in the trash can if they couldn’t take care of you.”