Moving is a big ordeal. You have to pack up everything you want to take with you and get rid of the things you no longer want. Something which should never be one of these considerations is your pet.

But a woman in Pennsylvania did that, discarding her dog like so much trash so she could move in with her boyfriend in another state.

Why would someone discard a dog?

When Nicole Baker moved out of her home, she placed her unwanted dog, Mia, in a trash bag and threw her into the trash can. And while it might not have been easier to give her pet up to a shelter, it would have been legal and kept her out of hot water.

Baker had every opportunity to do right by Mia

The worst part is that Baker’s friends had asked her before she moved if she needed someone to take Mia into their home. But Baker told them not to bother, preferring instead to throw her away, where she would have starved or suffocated if not found.

Mia was rescued just in time

Fortunately for Mia, she was found by sanitation worker Nathan Binne, as he made his rounds gathering the trash. One can only imagine the shock of finding a live dog in the trash, and it never had to be that way.

“It was shocking,” Binne told WTAE-TV, “to see an animal like that, and I just wanna make sure everything’s okay.”

On the road to recovery

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The Humane Society of Westmoreland County was notified of Mia’s plight. Soon, they had taken her to the organization’s shelter where she could receive treatment. Soon, she had gained some weight and was on the road to recovery.

Nicole Baker was tracked down and charged

As for Baker, police tracked her down and she was charged. In court, she pleaded guilty. As a penalty, Baker had to pay a $620 fine, undergo a mental health evaluation, and complete community service. Best of all, Baker will not be allowed to adopt a dog in Pennsylvania anymore.

Finding her forever home

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Mia received a new name, Fawna, and was adopted by a vet tech named Megan. In Megan’s home, Fawna was able to begin a new life as a dog who had a loving owner and could help her recover from any abandonment issues she might still have from her ordeal.

While heartbreaking, Fawna/Mia’s story just goes to show that anyone can turn their life around if given the chance. In the end, the story did have a happy ending as Fawna did end up finding her forever home.

For more of Fawna’s story, watch the following video.

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Sources: YouTube – WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, apost