12-05-2025
Feared dead, dog was tied in a trash bag and thrown out. Then a miracle happened
A little dog in Waco, Texas, has a second chance at life thanks to some good Samaritans and a shelter that refused to give up.
Benji, a sweet blond terrier, had been thrown into a dumpster tied in a bag, The Mama Nutmeg Foundation said in an April 15 Facebook post.
'Store employees witnessed a man throw a large bag into the store's dumpster and drive off. Something made their Spidey senses tingle and they went to go look in the bag. THANK GOODNESS they did! Because they discovered a bloody terrier mix who was TIED UP IN THE TRASH BAG,' the shelter said.
'Thankfully, they called animal control and some local scanners for help. Initial reports were that he was shot in the belly, but after being sedated and shaved, it is clear he was attacked by a large dog and violently shaken (as indicated by the pockets of air under the skin). He is not neutered or have a microchip, and thankfully the shelter determined that he would survive if he got immediate medical care.'
The shelter worked to track down both the man who was witnessed throwing away Benji and his owner. The man said the pup wandered into his yard and was attacked by his own dog, and his original owner was tracked down, the shelter said.
'Third, we have been working diligently behind the scenes to locate an owner, since the man claimed Benji ran into his yard and got attacked,' the shelter reported to KWTX and in an April 17 Facebook post.
'We can tell you that we have spoken with the owner several times, and at this time, he believes the best thing for Benji is to stay in our rescue and find a new home. LET ME SAY THIS CLEARLY--The owner is NOT the man who dumped him. The owner has been very worried for Benji and was incredibly appreciative ... He is putting Benji's well being above all else, and believes surrendering is the best for all involved. We fully support him in this decision.'
The shelter was able to heal Benji to the point where he was able to not only stand on his own, but his personality started to shine through, the foundation said in the same Facebook post.
In a May 3 update, it was announced that Benji was released from the hospital. The shelter said it discovered a puncture wound in his lung, which was caught and fixed by a veterinarian.
According to KWTX, not only was Benji cleared for adoption, but the shelter received an overwhelming number of adoption applications. Since then, Benji has found his new family and a new home with Cristie Johnson, the media outlet said. Johnson said that she was surprised and thrilled that the shelter and chosen her.
'I had been going in on the Facebook pages and on their website daily just kind of looking to see how things were moving along, if I could get any indication, and his profile disappeared on Monday and so we really thought that he had found a good home, which we were very appreciative for but sad at the same time,' Johnson told KWTX, 'and then got contacted on Thursday.'
Benji is now sitting pretty with his new family, which includes three other dogs.
