Puppy abandoned in a sealed plastic box along I-90 draws thousands of Spokane adoption inquiries

SPOKANE — A 3-month-old puppy in an unfamiliar setting, Charlie was reluctant to come out of his doggie carrier Tuesday afternoon.

But once the boxer-border collie surveyed the room at Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, he became social, his tail wagging while he licked the hands of his visitors.

Charlie didn’t get to enjoy such freedom or attention the night before, though.

On Monday around 9 p.m., according to SCRAPS, a trucker found the puppy abandoned near the Four Lakes exit along Interstate 90 west of Spokane, confined to a small plastic bin. The lid was sealed, according to SCRAPS, and didn’t have holes to allow Charlie enough fresh air to breathe.

Inside the container was a “soupy” mixture of Charlie’s food, water, feces and urine.

“If you didn’t want the dog, I don’t understand why you’d leave him out there,” said Janet Dixon, SCRAPS special projects coordinator. “But I am glad we have him.”

Around 6 a.m. Tuesday, Dixon said, the trucker found Charlie while taking a quick walk. She took Charlie to SCRAPS, where he was immediately bathed and fed. The puppy is currently in SCRAPS foster care.

After posting about Charlie on the SCRAPS Facebook page, Dixon said, SCRAPS has received thousands of inquiries from people hoping to adopt.

“We’ve got Charlie now, and we’re going to make sure he gets a healthy home,” Dixon said.

Abandoning an animal falls into the legal realm of animal cruelty, according to SCRAPS, which is investigating the matter.