“I knew I had to do everything in my power to help him.”

On a recent walk through Vancouver’s Pacific Spirit Park, animal lovers Terry Sparrow and Krista Brisk found something that made their hearts drop. While throwing his gum away, Sparrow noticed a figure moving inside the trash can. At first, he assumed it was a squirrel or a raccoon. But then, Sparrow looked closer and realized the truth — there was a fluffy brown dog buried beneath the garbage.

“It’s heartbreaking, and I’m glad that we were there at the right time,” Sparrow told North Shore News. “I’m still in shock. Who would throw a beautiful dog like that in the trash can of all places?”

Brisk and Sparrow dug the pup out of the trash and began looking for help. The next morning, they connected with local dog rescuer Laurie Schildt, who agreed to help foster the dog and coordinate his care.

“I was heartbroken and angry,” Schildt told The Dodo. “I knew I had to do everything in my power to help him.”

Veterinarians at Canada West Veterinary Specialists examined the dog and found he suffered from a number of injuries, including broken ribs, a broken leg and a dislocated hip. The resilient pup would be OK, but he had many surgeries and a long road to recovery ahead of him. Luckily, Schildt planned to be right by his side the whole time. The rescuer named him Oscar, after Oscar The Grouch, as a winking ode to his backstory.

“Oscar has adjusted beautifully into my home,” Schildt said. “He’s a very loving boy, and [he] impresses me each day [with how] resilient he is, especially [given] what he has gone through.”

Oscar’s story reached scores of community members and social media followers, who’ve donated thousands to the pup’s ongoing therapy and medical care. Schildt is so grateful for all these helpers, especially the vets at Canada West Veterinary Specialists, who offered to cover a portion of the pup’s bills.

Clearly, Oscar is well on his way to his happy ending. And it turns out, he won’t have to search for his forever home — he’s already found one.

“I have decided to adopt Oscar, so his future life will be full of love and happiness,” Schildt said. “He will never, ever feel pain or be scared again. I am in love with this little guy. He has really stolen my heart. I look forward to our future together with my pack.”