You’ve probably experienced moments when a last-minute change to your routine has had unexpected consequences. Maybe you’ve changed your coffee order or left the office early, only to run into an old friend or get an unpleasant surprise at home. These small decisions can have significant consequences, some good, some troubling.
Malissa Sergent Lewis experienced such a moment in the summer of 2016 when she decided to take a different route to work at her elementary school in Kentucky. Running late, she chose a back road instead of the usual highway, a decision she came to appreciate.
As she drove down the quieter street, she noticed something strange: a garbage bag that seemed to be moving in the middle of the road. “I thought I saw it twitch,” Malissa recalls. Intrigued and concerned, she felt compelled to investigate further.
She approached the bag cautiously, but realized that it was tightly sealed and that the contents could not have gotten there on their own. With a mixture of concern and determination, she ripped open a corner of the bag and revealed a heartwarming surprise.
Inside was a small puppy that wagged its tail with joy when exposed to the light. “I couldn’t believe it,” said Malissa. The little dog was shocked, but longed for company.
He was found with a collar but no identification tag, raising questions about how he was abandoned in the first place. Unable to leave him behind, Malissa took the puppy to school with her. Later, her son took the puppy home and they arranged a vet visit to make sure he was healthy and vaccinated.
Concerned for the puppy’s safety, Malissa contacted animal control, but the dog had not been reported missing and no one came forward to pick him up.
Fortunately, Malissa and her family decided to adopt the puppy and give him the love and care he deserves. Still, she finds it hard to comprehend the cruelty that led to his abandonment. “Who could do something so heartless?” she wondered. “Everyone loves puppies; you have to be a cold-hearted person to put an animal in a garbage bag and just throw it away.”