Rescuers Peer Into Trash Compactor and Spot a Heartbreaking Face Longing for Love—An Animal Thrown Away Like Garbage

Last Sunday morning, Brandon Arroyo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer, received a shocking call from someone in his Daytona Beach apartment complex. The caller informed Arroyo that they’d just seen a dog in the building’s trash compactor.

Arroyo and his wife, Heather Jones, immediately rushed down to see what was going on.

“Sure enough, there he was, just this big, black dog down in the bottom of the compactor,” Jones told The Dodo.

Jones had never seen anything like it. She’d watched videos online of dogs abandoned in landfills or dumpsters, but seeing an animal trapped in such a dire circumstance in person felt astonishing.

Not wanting to assume the worst, Arroyo and Jones wondered if maybe the dog had somehow gotten into the trash compactor by accident. But as they looked closer, they realized he would’ve had to open the door and jump 4 1/2 feet to get inside the container.

“That would be extremely difficult for him to get in there himself,” Jones said. “And in the state that he was in … there was no chance he’d jumped in there.”

The couple wanted to get the dog out of there as quickly as possible, but they knew they’d have to gain his trust first. Arroyo tried giving him treats, but the dog refused them, so he just stood next to the pup to get him accustomed to his smell. Once the dog was feeling a bit more comfortable, Arroyo was able to pull him right out.

It was only then that the couple processed how heartbreaking it was that someone had intentionally tried to throw him away. It was clear the dog had suffered as a result. They were worried he had a serious health condition, but it turns out that the biggest issues he was facing were dehydration and malnourishment.

All it took was a little food and water in his system for the pup to start feeling better. The couple decided to name him Daytona after the place he was rescued from.

“In just four or five days, he’s made a huge comeback,” Arroyo said.

In those days, Arroyo and Jones have been surprised to learn that under Daytona’s scared exterior, there’s an outgoing, energetic dog.

“[He’s] definitely going to be the most loyal dog ever,” Jones said. “You can just tell he’s so thankful to be safe. [He’s] very sweet and gentle.”

Arroyo and Jones have been touched by the outpouring of love and support Daytona has been receiving from their community. The Daytona Beach Police Department helped the pup get an X-ray and even paid him a visit to drop off tons of dog supplies for him.

The couple is currently fostering Daytona through Pet Rescue By Judy, who’s been coordinating his medical treatments. Whether the couple decides to keep him or he ends up with another family, he’ll finally be in the loving home he’s always deserved.