Unclaimed dog saved seconds before being crushed in trash compactor

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A malfunction in a trash compactor saved a dog in east Louisville.
 
On Saturday, a maintenance worker at Veranda Apartments at Norton Commons attempted to turn on the complex's trash compactor.
 
"It did not work," Louisville Metro Animal Service spokeswoman Leslie Hawk said. "I don't know if it was because the crate was in there and blocking it or what happened."

[OTHER NEWS: Madonna fires back following Louisville show]

In an attempt to troubleshoot, the maintenance worker took a glance inside and found a dog estimated to be one to three years old.
 
Hawk said she is certain of one thing.

"The dog did not climb in a crate and put himself in the trash compactor," she said. "He seems to be a rat terrier beagle mix. He has that small wiry look of a rat terrier but the coloring and marking of a beagle."
 
The maintenance worker immediately called police, who then called LMAS.
 
"We hear a lot of cruel and unusual things that happen to animals, but this is a first," Hawk said.
 
Upon rescue, the dog was anxious while the officer was removing him from the compactor, according to Hawk. She said he had very few scrapes and minor bruising.
 
On Monday, the dog was running in a fenced area, fetching toys. He was eating regularly and receiving continuous medical attention.
 
Although LMAS is proud to care for him, the workers are hopefully he has a home.
 
"He was not micro chipped and not licensed," Hawk said. "But, he was well cared for and he was not malnourished."
 
The apartment complex could not release information about the incident. It is undetermined if the nearby surveillance video is available. LMPD and LMAS ask anyone who has information about this dog, to call LMAS at (502) 361-1318.

Copyright 2016 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.