A deputy responded just before 10 a.m. on Tuesday to a business in the 2000 block of Chapel Hill Road after reports that workers found a dog trapped in a dumpster on the property.
The tan pit bull mix was discovered when workers heard an approaching collection truck and rushed outside to throw more garbage in the dumpster before the truck arrived. When they saw the dog, they waved the truck off and called for assistance.
The deputy safely pulled the pup out of the container.
After viewing security footage provided by the business, the deputy saw a person of interest on the video. The sheriff's office is trying to identify the man.
As a reminder, Animal Services deputies and animal control officers will pick up a pet that is ill or that a resident can no longer keep.
Surveillance video shows a person of interest in the case
"There is no reason for anyone to throw a pet away or abandon them in any manner," the sheriff's office said in a release.
Anyone with information on the identity of this person of interest is asked to please call the Durham County Sheriff's Office communications center at (919) 560-0900 or Animal Services at (919) 560-0630.
ABC11 is tracking crime and safety across Durham and in your neighborhood
Download the ABC11 News app