Oreo, The Dog Put In The Trash Last Month, Has A New Home

Updated: March 2, 2012

It’s a happy ending to what started as a sad story.

Remember Oreo? He’s the five year old Shih Tzu found in a trash can outside a Greenville home a few weeks ago.

The Millers reacted like many families did.

“I immediately started responding to it saying I will adopt that dog. Just let me know what I need to do. We will adopt that dog and give it a forever home,” said Kevin Miller.

Now healthy and happy, Oreo got that forever home. The Millers were one of many families that called Greenville County Animal Care, wanting him.

“We had people calling us from Texas, New York, from Arizona, people calling from all over. And finally we said, we got so many good people locally, let's make it somebody local so that we'll be able to monitor how he's doing here,” said Susan Bufano, Community Relations Coordinator.

And the shelter is hoping Oreo's success will spread to its other neglected pets. Of the 55 animals it takes in every day, about 10 percent need medical care above and beyond the basics.

The shelter relies on donations to its Second Chance Fund to help treat these animals. And once the pets are well enough, it relies on foster care, and of course, adoptions.

“We give them all of the information that they're gonna need,” said Bufano. “We give them any medication they're gonna need. And when somebody is fostering for us, we give them food. You know, we'll make it as easy for them as we can.”

For the Millers, that means going home with medicine to treat Oreo's skin allergies, as they add one more pet to the mix.

“Look at him; he's as sweet as he can be. He's doing to blend in at our house just perfect,” said Miller.

Greenville County Animal Care says there are several ways to help through donations, fostering a pet, adopting one or volunteering. Check with your local animal shelter for details.

Updated: February 23, 2012

The woman who, officials say, threw her living dog in the trash earlier this month was found guilty this week of ill treatment of animals.

She received a fine of $470 and another $80 for the dog not having the proper vaccines.

The dog, Oreo, is at the Greenville County Animal Care Center being treated while awaiting a permanent home.

Posted: February 9, 2012

Spartanburg County Animal Control arrested a woman after they say she put a living dog in the garbage.

Officials say a garbage man found a black and white shih tzu in her trash can Thursday morning.

She denied the dog was hers, but then admitted it was.  She took it out of the trash can and the garbage man left and called animal control officials.

When authorities responded, they noticed the trash can was moving.  When they opened the lid, they found the same dog in a garbage bag.

Investigators say the dog seems to be fine, aside from a previous skin problem.

The dog, who has been named Oreo, was sent to the Greenville County Animal Care Center.

Staff there say a vet is looking at Oreo and it will be held for five days before adoption is considered.