Adorable Rottweiler-Mix Puppy Left For Dead In Riverside Garbage Dumpster

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — A Rottweiler-hound mix was left for dead in a Riverside apartment complex trash dumpster, according to authorities.

The approximately 20-pound, 6-month-old puppy was tied up in a white garbage bag and was near death, according to officials.

Tonya Ornellas of Riverside Animal Services said the person who found the puppy "originally thought he was dead. But he picked him up and he moved his head. And when he saw the dog was alive he rushed him over to us."

Greg Mills, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, said the puppy was rescued just in time.

Ornellas said, "He was bones. Bones. You could see every bone in his body.  He hadn't been fed for a while. He was very malnourished. Very underweight."

Margie Young told Mills, "It just broke my heart to know that someone could just toss him away like that."

The dog, since named Pongo (for a character in "101 Dalmatians") has been fattened up and the vets don't see any long term problems.

They don't foresee Pongo having any problems. But noting the size of his paws, they want a possible future owner to know ... Pongo is going to be a big boy. "When fully mature," reports Mills, "they expect him to be about 50-60 pounds."

Mills says Pongo "loves people" and he "also loves other animals."

And one more thing, Pongo apparently loves to snore.

He will be available for adoption starting Saturday.

Riverside Animal Services if offering a summer special on adoption fees. The $20 adoption fee for Pongo (or other rescues) covers micro-chipping, spay/neutering and all vaccines.