Garbage truck driver adopts puppy he found abandoned in backpack along his route

Aaron Kinsel, a sanitation driver for waste management company Rumpke, was on his Wednesday morning route when he made a distressing discovery — a discarded backpack was moving along a road in Colerain Township, Ohio.

That’s when Kinsel got out of his truck to investigate, according to a release from Rumpke.

Inside the backpack, Kinsel found a 10-week-old puppy abandoned in the cold, suffering from a broken leg.

Rumpke’s safety team took the female Boxer-mix to a local veterinarian’s office to treat her leg and dehydration.

Now, Kinsel and his family have adopted the dog, whom they’ve named “Tipper” after the mechanism on garbage trucks used to pick up containers.

“I felt like I was meant to find her,” Kinsel said.

Rumpke said local authorities have been notified, and the company is cooperating with their investigation.

“For their safety, as well as for the safety of our customers, Rumpke drivers are trained to remain observant,” said Rumpke’s Cincinnati safety manager Kendra Catherman in the release. “We do our best to take care of our communities and always do the right thing. We are very proud of Aaron and delighted to make Tipper an honorary member of our Rumpke team.”

By WCPO staff