An instant disclaimer for anyone who is about to read this post—it‘s going to break your heart and then patch it back together. We often share heartwarming stories of rescued animals, but what the poor creature has to go through prior to that can be devastating. This particular dog story perfectly illustrates how strikingly brutal some people can be and how incredibly kind others are. It‘s all about balance in the world, right? Not the kind of balance we would hope for, but the one we have to deal with. So grab some tissues, because you will need them!

This dog was not only abandoned, but thrown away in a dumpster like trash in the city of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Luckily, a passerby noticed a dog among the garbage, and this is where you take your tissues out. The person who found the dog documented the heartbreaking sight on video—the amount of pain and sadness in the pup‘s eyes is almost unbearable to watch.

A dog was thrown away in a dumpster like trash

This heartbreaking video shows the moment she was first found

“The people who are trying to make this world worse are not taking a day off. How can I?” He wrote. “It’s about this case of a little dog thrown in a dumpster, and about so many other cases that occur every day. I ask all animal protectors not to be discouraged, to celebrate each victory, each adoption, each recovery, etc. (…) Love is stronger than hate and I have faith that soon we will have more effective laws.”

Florzinha (or Little Flower translated from Portuguese), as rescuers named her, was immediately taken to the vet of the Municipal Kennel.

A large tumor and ulcers were found in her stomach

Florzinha was checked and groomed, and will be treated with meds before the decision about removing the tumor will be made.

Small tumors were found in multiple mammary glands as well, so she might need a removal of an entire mammary chain
“We will not give up. The veterinarians at the Municipal Kennel will provide her with all the necessary care and I am sure she will soon be in a home that really loves her,” Palhinha wrote in another post. He also encouraged everyone not to waste their energy on blaming and cursing the person who did this, who clearly doesn’t deserve any attention at all. He asked people to direct all the prayers and positive energy towards Florzinha.

Florzinha will continue her treatment until she’s ready to go to a new home
In his last update, Palhinha thanked Petland Botucatu, where Florzinha is being treated, as well as everyone who contributed with medication and food. She’s being very well taken care of, including hot baths and exciting car rides.

This story shocked the local community, but it happens everywhere in the world much more often than we‘d like it to. The population of homeless animals in the world is overwhelming, and it often happens “thanks” to humans who were responsible for protecting their pet the moment they decided to bring it home. According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter US animal shelters nationwide every year, and only about half get adopted.

People abandon their loyal animals because they are too challenging to handle, too old, too sick, or they require too much food, attention, and love. The truth is that people who can throw away what was supposed to be their faithful friend in an actual dumpster don‘t have any love to give, and I am actually happy Florzinha gets to live a better life now.