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Emaciated puppy rescued after being dumped in garbage can

RIVER ROUGE, Mich. — If a Michigan man hadn't been mowing grass Monday morning, Aaron the puppy may not have survived.

The man told WXYZ that he heard a dog barking, and when he went to dispose of the lawn clippings, he discovered an emaciated puppy in a garbage bin.

The man flagged down an animal control officer, who helped rescue the puppy and get him the intensive medical care that he needed. Investigators told WXYZ that the dog could have died if he had spent just another 30 minutes trapped in the garbage can.

The puppy, estimated to be four to five months old, weighed just 10 pounds and couldn't stand on his own because he was so emaciated and weak. He was named Aaron after the animal control officer who helped rescue him, WXYZ reported.

While investigators are working on leads of who may be responsible for this act of animal cruelty, Aaron is receiving around-the-clock care at Wilson Veterinary Hospital. Lucky Day Animal Rescue, which helped coordinate Aaron's care, said that while his body temperature and kidney functions are not normalized yet, Aaron still has a lot of spirit, wagging his tail and barking for visitors, and even trying to play.

A veterinarian has agreed to be Aaron's foster.

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