WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — Five puppies are safe and being cared for after being discovered abandoned in a dumpster at an apartment complex in Willoughby on Monday morning.
Willoughby Police Det. Lt. Michael Sevel said a woman found the puppies stuffed inside a dumpster at Parkway Apartments in Willoughby and brought them to the Willoughby Police Department lobby.
"An officer was called to the lobby here, a female found the dogs in a dumpster," Sevel said.
The woman was throwing something away when she looked inside the dumpster and saw the dogs, according to Sevel.
Willoughby Police shared pictures and the story on Facebook, which caught the attention of Heather Hager, who runs the non-profit Coming Back Home Rescue in Willoughby.
"I made a comment on their post saying it's sad to see puppies being abandoned so close to home, and not even 10 minutes later, they were calling, saying they need help with some puppies," Hager explained.
Hager runs the non-profit largely alone, making the sudden arrival of five puppies challenging.
The puppies appear to be four to six weeks old and seem to have been cared for before being abandoned, according to Hager.
"I think they were dumped pretty recently,” she said. “It smells like they were bathed pretty recently,” Hager added.
The dogs aren't ready for adoption yet, but Hager is looking for foster parents to help care for them. The small nonprofit also needs donations, including puppy food, toys, and puppy pads. Click here for more information.
Willoughby Police are actively searching for the person who abandoned the puppies. Anyone with information is asked to call the Willoughby Police Department.
