Sometimes the wildest surprises show up in the most everyday places.
Brian Waldrop, the Stream Team Coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation, started his morning like he always does, out working alongside his crew.
Together with Stream Teams, Beyond Housing, and volunteers from Tiered Community Teams, they were checking out spots for an upcoming clean-up project when something about the scene in front of them made everyone pause.
There was a heap of trash, and on top of it sat a big black garbage bag like it was trying to hide whatever was underneath. When they opened it up, what they found inside left them completely stunned.
A Shocking Discovery In The Trash
Brian noticed the black bag seemed to move ever so slightly. Intrigued, he stepped closer and carefully opened it. What he saw stopped him cold.
Nestled among empty bottles and candy wrappers was a tiny puppy.
The team stood in disbelief. Realizing the little dog had been cruelly abandoned, Brian felt a deep ache in his chest.
“It’s a happy ending story or at least a happy beginning story. He was found in a black trash bag in a pile of trash,” Brian told FOX 2 St. Louis.
He struggled to understand how anyone could discard a living creature this way. One thing was certain: he couldn’t walk away.
A Choice That Changed Everything
Rather than leave the puppy’s fate uncertain, Brian made a decision that would alter both their lives.
Without hesitation, he chose to adopt the dog himself. When the Department shared the story in a Facebook post, messages of gratitude poured in from across the country.
“Thank you for saving this little guy! So thankful your crew was in the right place at the right time,” one wrote.
“Handsome little guy! Glad he’s finally home,” another one added.
At first, the puppy’s fur looked yellow. But after a good bath, Brian discovered a white coat beneath the dirt.
“He was quite yellow. When I got him home and washed him, he magically turned white,” says Brian.
Naming him took some thought. Eventually, Brian settled on calling him Dude.
“His first name could’ve been Hefty. And then it was Be Well My Son, and then it turned into Welston…A good name could be, like, Shawn, or Riley… Right now, it’s just good ole’ Dude. He’s just a cute little puppy,” he continued.
After everything the puppy endured, Brian is simply grateful that Dude now has a safe home.
Today, Dude’s only focus is on the adventures ahead. The painful chapter of being discarded is firmly behind him.