A police officer who was alerted to strange noises coming from a trash can had no idea he was about to meet his new best friend for life.
In December, just a few days before Christmas, Sergeant Nick Beerling of the Gardena Police Department heard cries coming from a self-compacting trash can on the street. He got to work—and, inside, found a 1-year-old terrier mix dog, who had seemingly been callously discarded like trash.
Local animal rescue spcaLA quickly got involved, and took the dog—whom they named Flan—into their care for Christmas.
But Beerling couldn’t stop thinking about him—and, just days later, Flan joined his new forever home with his rescuer, with a brand-new name: Norman.
The spcaLA shared Norman’s story in a heartbreaking post to its Threads account @spcala on January 1, where the rescue wrote that Flan had been “tossed in the trash.”
The spcaLA wrote that, a few days before Christmas, “a Gardena Police Officer was alerted to faint whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a local church. Inside, the officer found a small, scared dog, now known as Flan, who had been tossed in the trash.”
The rescue added: “Flan was brought to spcaLASouthBay and was cared for while he completed the stray hold. On Christmas Eve, the same officer who rescued Flan returned, this time with his family, to give Flan the safe and loving home he deserves.”
Alongside the post were two photos: the first of the trash can Flan was found in on the street; and the second of the dog himself, looking lost and scared as the rescue took him in.
Ana Bustilloz of spcaLA told Newsweek: “Everyone at spcaLA is thrilled Flan went home with the Gardena Sergeant who rescued him.
“We hope all this attention will encourage people to look out for animals in their community and also choose to adopt from a shelter.”
In a statement on spcaLA’s website, which includes a photo of Flan/Norman with his beaming new owners, the Beerling family said Norman “hit the jackpot.”
And, in a press release, spcaLA said: “Flan’s resilience and the officer’s quick actions have turned a tragic situation into a happy ending.”
Norman is one of millions of animals in shelters across the United States. In 2024 alone, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered rescues, with 4.2 million being adopted.
While Norman was adopted quickly, he is an outlier: the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that the length of time dogs are staying in shelters before being adopted has increased, which contributes to the capacity crisis limiting spaces for new arrivals.
Newsweek has contacted Gardena Police Department for comment on this story.
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