JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Finding a dog in a trash can wasn’t something Jackson Leverenz expected when he was taking out the trash several days ago.
He heard whimpering coming from the trash can and immediately alerted his parents to what he heard.
“A dog, really skinny, about a year old, terrible condition,” Leverenz said. “Looked really mange, scars and cuts all over.”
The house is hidden from the main road down several streets in an Arlington neighborhood. It’s also at the end of the street near a cul de sac. Jackson’s dad Patrick Leverenz said nothing like this has ever happened before.
“I have my ideas why I think they did,” he said. “But I mean, who knows why they actually picked our trash can out of every house on the block.”
It’s puzzling to Patrick Leverenz why anyone would leave a dog in a trash can.
“I don’t know if it’s laziness or if it’s evil, but it’s just there’s so many other things that you can do with that dog and putting it in a trash can,” he said.
Even after being literally thrown away, Patrick Leverenz said Chocolate, the rescued dog, was as sweet as could be.
“Just as soon as we got her out, and she realized she was safe, she was coming up to us, and, she was great,” he said. “I wish we could have kept her, but we just couldn’t.”
The Leverenz family brought Chocolate to the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) where she got the name to match her personality.
Lindsay Layendecker, Director of Development for JHS. said Chocolate is currently under medical treatment because she came in skinny and with some skin loss that’s consistent with fleas.
“Those are things we can easily treat and prepare her for adoption,” she said. “So she needs to be spayed and microchipped, given her vaccines, things like that.”
While there are still unanswered questions about how Chocolate ended up in the Leverenz’s trash can, Layendecker said Jackson did exactly what he needed to get her into safe hands.
“We’re just really, very, very thankful for that family,” Layendecker said. “What a special young man to go inside and not disregard what he heard, but to go right to his parents.”
While the Leverenz family couldn’t keep Chocolate, Jackson Leverenz is thankful she’s in good hands now.
“I feel really relieved because, like he said there are many other things that could have happened to the dog, and I’m just glad to hear that she’s being taken care of,” the son said.
Chocolate has an adopter lined up once she gets healthy.
If you find a pet or if you think you can’t keep your own pet anymore, there are resources through the Humane Society available to help.
“We have a lot of programs in place to help people. We like to meet people where they are. We’re not going to be judgmental or shame anyone,” Layendecker said. “We really do want to be the bridge that keeps pets and people together.”
The Humane Society said they’ve reached out to their partners with animal care and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office with this case but they said the investigation is ongoing.
News4JAX emailed both agencies to find out more information but haven’t heard back at this time.