By ALEXA MILAN
SANFORD — What began as a routine work day at Airotemp Heating and Cooling turned into a mission to save a four-legged friend when the staff discovered a malnourished dog in a dumpster behind the office Monday morning.
Technician Josh Page heard noises coming from the dumpster around 8:30 a.m. Monday shortly after the staff arrived at the office. When he went to investigate, he found an emaciated dog standing among the garbage. He and technician Joe Lane pulled the dog from the dumpster and brought her inside, where they found she still had a heartbeat.
“I just wanted to cry,” Airotemp staff member Donna Stein said. “This didn’t happen overnight. This dog looks like she has been neglected for a long time.”
The brown and white mixed-breed dog, who the staff have dubbed Gracie, had thinning fur and several scabs on her body. Her ribs protruded from her skin. She was covered in dirt and grime, and had no collar or microchip.
Stein said she doesn’t know when or how Gracie ended up in the Airotemp dumpster. But given her weakened state, Stein said she doesn’t think Gracie climbed in the dumpster of her own accord.
“As weak as she was, she couldn’t have climbed in there on her own,” Stein said. “You can just feel her ribs. I just don’t know how people could throw animals away.”
Stein and her fellow office staff member Tammy Langdon called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to file a report, and two officers from the department’s animal control division reported to Airotemp.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Lt. David Prevatte with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the animal control officers were still unsure how exactly Gracie came to be in the Airotemp dumpster. If anyone has any information about the case, Prevatte said people can call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 718-4577, or they can call 775-5531 and ask for the animal control officer on duty.
“The people who found the dog in the dumpster are fostering the dog right now and providing the care to get the dog back in good health,” Prevatte said. “We’ve left that in their care right now. We still don’t have any information as to who may have left the dog in the dumpster.”
Stein and Langdon took Gracie to a local veterinarian, who agreed to treat her and defer payment until her follow-up visit. The veterinarian, who requested to remain anonymous, said Gracie now weighs 36 pounds but should weigh 50-55 pounds. He estimated she is less than two years old. He said she has fleas, heartworms and three types of intestinal worms, but her prognosis is good.
“My first reaction was that she was extremely emaciated, but very friendly,” he said. “She seemed to be very appreciative of having someone take care of her.”
Langdon and Stein took Gracie back to the Airotemp office, where they said she has spent her time resting between taking medications and eating a high-protein diet. The staff at Head to Tail Pet Salon next door to Airotemp agreed to bathe and groom Gracie, and Langdon said she plans to foster her.
“We’re just taking it one step at a time,” Langdon said. “At this point, we just want to get her better.”
