A Morrison family will give a permanent home to a dog that was found in a pile of trash.
George Thompson took the dog in after it was found in a pile of trash Tuesday night, March 6, 2012.
Mick and Gidget Richards called Thompson early Thursday morning after they watched the story on WQAD. Mick told us he knew they had to have the dog when he came home from work to find his wife in tears.
"She had watched the story. I said, 'You want the dog, don't you?' She said, 'Yes, I do,'" Mick Richards said.
The next morning they drove an hour to pick up the rescued Chihuahua.
George Thompson, the man who found the dog, said he knew he had the perfect match when the couple shared stories about their search for a family pet.
"We had a dog for 12-15 years that was aged when we got it and had to put it down a few years ago. Then unfortutely, we did try another dog that ended up getting hit by a car," Richards says.
Today, their luck - and the dog's luck - has turned around.
Thompson says with confidence, "They are going to take good care of her, I can tell."
Thompson also told us he recieved numerous calls from around the Quad Cities from people donating food for the rescued Chihuahua. He expressed his gratitude.
- ORIGINAL STORY -
A Moline man found a dog that was locked in a cage and left under a large piece of cardboard in a pile of trash.
George Thompson was walking his two dogs when he heard a whimper coming from a dump pile.
Thompson lifted the large cardboard box and found a female Chihuahua in a cage. She was locked in with no food or water.
"It was her death bed, if it wasn't for us finding her," Thompson says.
Thompson took the dog in. He says the dog "couldn't eat fast enough" when he fed it a can of tuna. Thompson says the dog was terrified at first, and bit him twice when he attempted to take her out of the cage.
"She was shaking. She was scared to death," said Thompson.
Thompson says the area that the dog was found in has become a problem for the Fruitland Addition neighborhood in Moline. For the last couple of months, people have been using the open lot for a dumping ground.
Patti McRae, Executive Director of the Quad City Animal Welfare, says unfortunately, this type of thing happens more than you would expect.
"People get desperate and they are not real sure what to do with the pet. Unfortunately, they get so desperate that they do things that are considered inhumane to most," says McRae.
George Thompson says he is planning to keep the dog unless he can find someone that could give her a good home.
For more information on what to do if you find a stray or can no longer take care of your pet, you can visit The Quad City Animal Welfare Center website at www.qcawc.org.