Sanitation employee adopts puppy he found in trash bag

MUNCIE, INDIANA (CNN) -- A sanitation employee in Muncie, Indiana is now the proud owner of a little puppy.

Michael Upchurch met his puppy "Garby" after Garby's first owner had thrown him in the trash.

"I was calling him blue bag, but then my wife was like, 'No, that's no good.' So she named him Garby," Upchurch said.

Garby's first owner reportedly thought the dog had died of parvo.

"The dog did not have parvo. It was simply just starving. It's blood sugar was so low that it had caused it to maybe pass out. Maybe she had the idea that the dog had passed because it wasn't moving," Upchurch said.

Upchurch found Garby by chance as he was picking up trash on Main Street.

"Once I took it up here and dumped it in the truck, right here, it was just a terrible sound of a puppy. I can't even explain it," Upchurch said.

Upchurch heard whimpering and thought it was his co-worker.

"This ole' doggy here hollering, 'Save me,' I guess, in dog talk," Upchurch said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Upchurch noticed something moving inside a blue trash bag, and that's why he ripped it open.

"He was just laying there on his side, his legs and arms were just completely froze, it was frozen stiff," Upchurch said.

Upchurch did everything he could think of to keep the puppy warm.

"Turned on the heat right here with the heater full blast. Now, every bag I dump I'm like, 'Oh, no, what's in that one,'" Upchurch said.

Phil Peckinpaugh, with the Muncie Animal Shelter says Garby's former owner said she got rid of two other puppies that same day for the same reason.

"It's absolutely horrible to think that maybe the others weren't this lucky, maybe they were alive," Upchurch said.

Upchurch said he can't believe Garby is doing so well.

"I kinda hope this makes people think a second before they do this," Upchurch said.

Officials say Garby's former owner has been cited with animal neglect and animal cruelty.

Now, a prosecutor will have to decide whether to press charges.