JURUPA VALLEY, Calif. -- A 3-year-old Chihuahua mix was rescued from a Jurupa Valley dumpster Saturday morning.
The dog was likely left in the dumpster overnight, Riverside County Animal Services officials said.
A resident of a mobile home park in the 6000 block of Mission Boulevard found the dog while throwing away trash in the dumpster and told a manager. The manager called animal control at about 9 a.m.
The dog was taken to Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter. Although he had a high temperature, he appeared to be okay, officials said.
"It is a sick act to treat any animal in this manner," Riverside County Animal Services Director Robert Miller said. "A dog is a living creature. It is not trash. We can always work with pet owners to rehome their pet. To do something like this to a dog is despicable."
Trash at the mobile home park is not picked up on Saturday and Sunday.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to e-mail Riverside County Animal Services at shelterinfo@rcdas.org.