A dog was found alive inside a trash bag outside a store in Lehigh Acres, Florida.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported that the dog had been intentionally bagged like trash and thrown away after the owners died.
The heroic employees of a Family Dollar store recognized this to be purposeful abuse and rushed Xyla, a 16-year-old Shih Tzu, to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital for evaluation.
A microchip was found on the dog during treatment, and it showed Xyla’s owners had died.
The suspect, a relative of the dog’s owners, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty.
Xyla appears to be in great health, other than having impaired vision, and will soon be up for adoption through Lee County Domestic Animal Services.