Small Dog Dies After Being Found in Trash Can With Severe Head Injuries

A small Yorkshire Terrier with a traumatic head injury has died after she was found in a North Philadelphia trash can on Oct. 3, 2019. Philadelphia SPCA

A small Yorkshire Terrier found in a North Philadelphia trash can with a traumatic head injury has died.

The elderly dog, named “Pringles,” was discovered on the morning of Oct. 3 by a passerby who heard rustling noises coming from a trash can in the 1800 block of North Taylor Street, and thought it could be wildlife.

The passerby, however, found the injured Yorkie buried underneath a layer of trash and immediately contacted the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Team, reported GMA.

Due to the severity of Pringles’s injuries, she was taken to be treated at the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in critical condition as she appeared to have traumatic head injuries.

Nicole Wilson, Director of Humane Law Enforcement & Operations at the Pennsylvania SPCA, said in a statement at the time of Pringles’s discovery, that their Shelter Hospital team was doing everything that they could to save Pringles, who was described as being in a “very delicate state.”

“This dog had sustained serious injuries and instead of seeking help someone threw her away like she was a piece of trash,” Wilson said in a statement.

However, Pringles sadly succumbed to her injuries just days later despite efforts to save her.

Penn Vet Shelter Medicine’s Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs Program provided care in her final hours.

A small Yorkshire Terrier with a traumatic head injury has died after she was found in a North Philadelphia trash can on Oct. 3, 2019. Philadelphia SPCA

Her death was announced in a statement on Monday, Oct. 7 by the Pennsylvania SPCA.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our sweet Pringles passed away yesterday. While we are all shattered by this, we hope that we can all find comfort in the fact that she did not die in a trash can scared and alone, but instead was surrounded by love, the best medical treatment available, and the support of so many in the city of Philadelphia and far beyond,” the statement reads.

“While Pringles is no longer with us, our fight to find justice for her continues. Pringles was discarded like a piece of trash but fought to be found despite her injuries. In the short time that we knew her, she captured the hearts of many and her fighting spirit encouraged us all that perhaps a miracle was possible and she would recover. That was not to be, and while today we mourn, we will keep fighting—for Pringles.”

The Pennsylvania SPCA added that Pringles’s owners have been identified by the Humane Law Enforcement team, who are working to investigate the circumstances leading to her injuries and how she ended up in the trash.

It said an investigation into the matter is ongoing and charges are pending.

Anyone with information about Pringles’s case is asked to get in touch with the Pennsylvania SPCA’s Cruelty Hotline at (866) 601-SPCA. Tips can be left anonymously.