From trash to travel: Dog dumped in Houston dumpster adopted by family in Washington state

HOUSTON – A dog that was found dumped in a dumpster in a Houston neighborhood is now about to travel across the country to his forever home.

The video of the dog lying at the bottom of the dumpster in the Allen Park Village neighborhood this past March tugged at the heartstrings of Houstonians all over.

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The dog was rescued from the dumpster by Fur A Pawsitive Future, a Houston-area rescue focused on helping cats. The group was doing feral cat removal in the neighborhood.

“I absolutely think someone came up and dropped him in,” said Diana Moreland with Fur A Pawsitive Future.

After rescuing the Rotweiller mix and taking him to Houston’s BARC shelter, another rescue stepped in to help the pup.

Texas Bark Squad, a Houston-based rescue, pulled the dog from the shelter system and named him, “Oscar.”

He’s been spending time with Kim Cox, who’s been fostering Oscar with Texas Bark Squad.

" I saw them rescue, and it was at night, I remember the lights, and then I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ I just, it brought tears to my eyes to see him in a dumpster," Cox told KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding.

“I saw the footage of him in the dumpster and I thought, ‘Oh wow, if they had came a day, you know, if he was in the dumpster the day before, nobody would have known about him,’” added Marleigh Berry, the President of Texas Bark Squad.

It didn’t take long for Oscars story to make its way around and adoption applications to start rolling in.

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One of those was from Sherri McFarland.

“I mean, his story is heartbreaking. And I’m a big sucker,” said McFarland. “I ended up on PetFinder through one of the rescue sites. He looks so sweet. And that backstory, I mean, how can you want, how can not want to give him a better life?”

That’s exactly what she’s going to do.

Later this month, Oscar will make a cross-country trip to Spokane, Washington to join Sherri’s family, which includes two four-legged siblings, Tuca and Poppy.

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Gage Goulding: “To give an animal another shot at life and a loving home. I mean, that has to be an incredible feeling.”

Sherri McFarland: “It feels really good.”

You can have that feeling, too.

There are hundreds of pets right here in the Houston area, who might not have a story like Oscar’s, but are looking for the same kind of loving home.

“Houston has a problem right now with that. I don’t know what the answer is, but we need to help them,” Cox said.

If you’re looking to help the Texas Bark Squad, visit their website.