On New Year's Day, Matt McEntire and his dog, Dublin, went for their usual morning walk to Crestwood Park in Fort Worth. The stroll turned out to be anything but usual.
"New Year's Day, 7:15 in the morning, we sat down here," McEntire said sitting on a park bench. "And Dublin was kind of, 'hmhmhmhm,' so I said, 'What the heck is wrong?' And that's when I walked over to the can and that's when we seen them in the can then."
McEntire saw eight puppies, about seven weeks old, inside the trash can. Tossed like garbage.
"When I looked in there, they were trying to get out," McEntire said.
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McEntire is a regular volunteer with the Humane Society of North Texas. He brought the puppies home and fed them. His cell phone video showed they were hungry with distended bellies from worms. He brought them to the HSNT, where they've been treated and are recovering in the nonprofit's 'cruelty' wing.
"We can't fathom why they were just thrown away. Literally thrown away, like you would a bag from a fast food restaurant," Humane Society of North Texas Senior Director of Marketing Cassie Davidson said. "I think there's a lot of questions behind this case. We don't understand how someone could keep these pets for as long as they did, and decide randomly, on New Year's Day, I'm gonna go throw them away!"
Someone kept the puppies until they were about seven weeks old, though Davidson said they were not well-cared for, having parasites and fleas. Davidson said if you see anything suspicious or an animal not being cared for properly, you can call 311.
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"I'm thankful; thankful for Matt finding this litter," Davidson said. "They're gonna get their first chance at life."
The puppies now have something in common with the man who rescued them.
"Yeah," McEntire said. "They're all Irish names; Paddy, and Jameson, and Guinness!"
Two of the eight puppies are still being treated for health issues, but six of them, along with many other puppies, will be up for adoption on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The Humane Society of North Texas is hosting a 'Puppy Palooza' at the Pet Smart in Montgomery Plaza in Fort Worth from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
