It’s often the most unremarkable places that hide the biggest surprises.
For Brian Waldrop, Stream Team Coordinator at the Missouri Department of Conservationand his fellow team members, the day began just like any other.
Alongside the Stream Teams, Beyond Housing, and citizens from Tiered Community Teams, they were scouting sites for a clean-up project when something entirely unexpected happened.
They came across a pile of trash, topped with a large, black garbage bag. What was inside left everyone stunned.
What Was Inside the Bag?
The black bag lying atop the trash pile appeared to be moving, so Brian approached to take a closer look. When he opened it, he immediately froze.
Nestled between empty bottles and candy wrappers was a tiny puppy.
The Missouri worker and his colleagues couldn’t believe what they were seeing. When he realized that the puppy had been cruelly discarded by its previous owners, his heart sank.
“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 couldn’t understand how anyone could treat an animal so cruelly. He knew he had to step in.
A Love Story That Will Melt Your Heart
Rather than turning the puppy over and risking a more uncertain fate, this kindhearted man made a life-changing decision.
Without second-guessing, Brian chose to give the little pup a permanent home. When the Department shared the happy update in a Facebook post, people across the nation reacted with joy.
“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 dog appeared to be yellow. But after a thorough bath, Brian was surprised to discover he had a white puppy on his hands.
“He was quite yellow. When I got him home and washed him, he magically turned white,” says Brian.
Though he didn’t pick a name immediately, Brian eventually decided to call his new furry friend: 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 had been through, Brian is simply grateful that Dude now has a safe and loving home.
Today, Dude’s only mission is to dream up fun new adventures—because from now on, the days of being left behind are long gone.