Trashed Gardena puppy is finding a new home with its rescuer
January 1, 2026
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One resilient pup is starting the new year with a loving home.
Earlier this month, a Gardena police officer responded to a report that there were whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a local church.
Inside the contraption, Sgt. Nick Beerling discovered a small, scared puppy sitting on top of a pile of trash.
A dog was found inside a trash can outside a church in Gardena.
(Ana Bustilloz / spcaLA)
Now, that same officer who rescued the 1-year-old terrier mix is bringing him home on Sunday.
Sgt. Beerling made the adoption official on Christmas Eve. The dog was being held temporarily at the spcaLA South Bay Adoption Center, as required by law for stray animals, but after that he will head to his new home. Staff at the Hawthorne animal shelter named the pup Flan after the creamy baked custard dessert, due to his light brown coat, said a spcaLA representative on New Year’s Eve.
According to spcaLA, security cameras were present outside the church where Flan was rescued, but the footage was not released to police.
Still, the incident remains a happy ending for the puppy, who will join the Beerling home — and a Shih Tzu sibling.
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