A tiny dog was found in critical condition inside a trash can near a car wash in Darlington County, South Carolina, after someone heard her whimpering from inside. The dog had been tied to a trash bag when she was discovered, and she is now recovering under veterinary care while the circumstances of how she ended up there remain unclear.
According to the WPDE, the dog was heard whimpering inside the trash can before she was found tied to the bag. The Darlington County Humane Society, known as DCHS, said it does not know how the dog got into the can or how long she had been left inside. The organization has named her Treasure and said she is now in its care as staff assess her condition and provide veterinary treatment.
Graphic Injuries, Urgent Needs
WPDE reported that the dog's injuries were graphic enough that the outlet decided not to share photos of her condition. DCHS is urgently asking the community for help providing food, vaccinations, veterinary care and other necessities as Treasure recovers, the station's report states. DCHS said it was working to determine how the dog ended up in the trash can, while police were investigating.
Treasure's case lands in a county that has seen other disturbing reports of injured dogs turning up along roadsides and in trash in recent years. In November 2024, a female black Lab mix was found with severe burns in a ditch at North Governor Williams Highway and Beckys Lane in Darlington County, according to WMBF. The Darlington County Sheriff's Office said at the time it was looking for the person responsible for abusing that dog, per the same report.
Other Cases, Conflicting Reward Details
In a separate incident also reported around that period, a local emergency medical responder found a terrier-type dog suffering from multiple burns at an intersection on November 9, 2024, and the dog was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic for care, according to Humane World for Animals. Published accounts differ on the reward offered for information in that case: WMBF reported Crime Stoppers of the Pee Dee and Hoof and Paw of South Carolina were offering up to $1,500 for information leading to an arrest, while Humane World for Animals reported a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible.
Darlington County is not the only part of South Carolina to see a dog named Treasure pulled from the trash. In February 2024, a 10-year-old poodle also named Treasure was found inside a sealed garbage bag in a dumpster in Beaufort County's Burton area, according to The Island Packet. That Treasure was blind in both eyes and severely malnourished, weighing just 10 pounds after veterinary staff removed two pounds of matted fur from her coat, the outlet reported.
For now, the Darlington County Humane Society says its focus is on Treasure's recovery and on figuring out how she came to be found tied to a bag inside a trash can near a local car wash. The organization has not provided a timeline for any investigation or for Treasure's return to health.
