It’s truly disturbing how heartless some individuals can be towards animals. Recently, a dog was found in a heartbreaking state—its entire head wrapped tightly in duct tape.

Fortunately, this story has a happier outcome.

On April 15, the Nebraska Humane Society shared the shocking tale. Animal Control officers responded to a report from someone who heard noises from inside a dumpster. Initially assuming it was a raccoon, the caller was horrified to discover it was, in fact, a dog.

The dog was in a terrible condition: duct tape completely covered its head, tail, and legs, leaving it bound and helpless. Additionally, “food and other debris were matted into its fur.”

“I have never seen anything like it,” said responding staff member Kevin Wiederin in an interview with KETV. “The entire muzzle was taped, and then there was tape covering up the eyes and it was just sitting there and its front and back paws were taped together also.”

“I was absolutely sickened. It was it was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen,”he continued. “I can’t imagine doing that to another living being, let alone a helpless little dog and then just throwing it away like trash.”

It was a stroke of luck that he was found in time; the Nebraska Humane Society reported that just half an hour after Animal Control responded to the call, a truck arrived to empty the dumpster.

The puppy was taken to the Nebraska Humane Society, where he was sedated so the staff could begin removing the tape. They had to shave his fur to get rid of all the debris.

They posted on Facebook that although the puppy had some mild skin irritation, he was “otherwise healthy and seemed to be in good spirits despite his condition,” even “perking up and wagging his tail.”

Once the tape was removed, the staff was relieved to find a microchip. It revealed that the dog’s name was Leo, and he had been missing for a few days.

Leo’s owner, Erin Dillon-Pasillas, shared that her dog had slipped out of the house while she was taking her son to school. She had spent days in a panic, reaching out to shelters about her lost pet.

“Every day got more stressful… it was just crickets,” she shared with KETV. “I was shaking, calling them. You know, thinking, please be my dog, please be my dog.”

Erin was grateful to have her dog back but felt emotional about what Leo had endured. “He’s the sweetest dog! I can’t understand why anyone would do this,” she shared with NHS.

Now recovering from his traumatic experience, Leo will receive a soothing bath and a veterinary check-up.

The identity of Leo’s abuser remains unknown. NHS reports that there are no surveillance cameras near the dumpster where Leo was discovered.