Couple Rescues Injured Toy Poodle From Trash — Now He’s Melting Community’s Hearts

Terry Sparrow and his fiancée, Krista Brisk, were out walking on a popular park trail when they came across a heartbreaking sight. Sparrow had gone to throw out his gum in a garbage bin and was shocked to see a pair of eyes looking up at him. There, among the garbage, was a tiny toy poodle.

““I couldn’t believe it, just shocked, horrified, just heartbreaking,” Sparrow later told Global News.

The couple found the dog in the trash bin in Pacific Trail Park in Vancouver, Canada, a week ago in the evening. Shocked at the sight, they recorded video so they could later submit it to the police.

Brisk gently lifted the dog out of the bin and cradled him to her.

They brought the dog home and named him Oscar. They immediately knew he was hurting, observing that he couldn’t stand up or walk and was in “distress and pain.”

Brisk gave him a quick rinse and provided him with some food, which he ate.

The following morning they took him to the local vet and called the RCMP, the SPCA, and Park Rangers and Animal Control to report finding Oscar. An investigation is currently underway.

At the vet, they learned that Oscar likely has neurological issues and that the right side of his body wasn’t working. Tests revealed he had broken ribs, a dislocated hip joint, and spinal compression. He’s thought to be around 10 years old, and although he has a microchip, it is unregistered.

Their friends, Laurie Schildt and Lorrie Cole—who help rescue animals and run the rescue organization Squamish Neighbourhood Animal Partnership and Protection Society (SNAPPS)—are now caring for Oscar.

Cole wrote on Facebook, “His injuries tell us he was either extremely abused or hit by a car. We aren’t sure at this time.”

She added, “The Police are involved and taking this matter very seriously to find out who did this to him and left him in a garbage can to die. For now we are letting his rest and decompress from his horrific experience.”

Oscar has undergone further tests and will need two surgeries, but he has a treatment plan and is now resting at Schildt’s home. She’s been taking him on stroller rides, which he is enjoying, and notes that he is a very resilient dog.

“He’s got a lot of life in him. He’s just been dealt a terrible hand but dogs are so resilient and I can’t believe he’s bouncing back,” she told CBC News.

Oscar will need surgeries for a severe fracture on his front leg and his dislocated left hip. Thankfully, he does not appear to have any neck injuries, and his organs are good. He will be getting his surgeries this week and will be monitored closely by the Canwest Veterinary Hospital, where he is receiving care.

Schildt wrote, “Tomorrow will be a very hard day for Oscar but he is on his way to being pain free. His recovery time will be 6-8 weeks. He will spend the night again after surgery at the hospital and I will bring him home on Wednesday He will need 24/7 care and I am prepared to give that to him. I will be taking time off work to care for him.”

She added, “I want to thank everyone for their continued support and love for Oscar. He really has stolen the community’s hearts.”

If you would like to support Oscar’s growing medical bills please visit the SNAPPS website to make a donation (scroll down on the page for the donation form.)

Schildt has also created Oscar the Poodle Facebook page where people can follow his recovery updates.

Pupdate: April 10, 2025

Oscar is successfully out of his surgeries and is doing well. He can return back to his foster home in the next day or two and vets expect him to recover fully from surgery in the next few months. Being the charmer he is staff at the vet hospital said, “He’s become quite a fan favorite very quickly.” 

And in more good news, Schildt has decided to adopt Oscar. “I recently lost my little dog a year ago. So it’s kind of bittersweet. I rescued [her], and now Oscar came into my life,” she told Daily Hive. She added, “I’m just in love. The way he looks at me since I’ve had him… his eyes and his personality. And his story. Being left in there and being discarded like nothing. To see how resilient he is and trusting. It’s heart-melting.”