‘It kind of stuck its nose out’: Hamilton man rescues puppy discarded in backpack on Rumpke route

A Hamilton man working for Rumpke is a hero to a puppy discarded in a backpack that he rescued this morning on his route.

Aaron Kinsel was on his residential route about 10 a.m. in Colerain Twp. pickup up recycling when he spotted a backpack near some trash cans.

“The street that it is on, it’s a dead-end road that I have to back down. I saw it backing down and didn’t think much of it,” Kinsel said. “As I pulled forward, I got out of the truck, I looked at it and noticed a movement. That’s when I went over and kind of peeked inside.”

The head of a puppy popped out.

“It kind of stuck its nose out to kind of get a feel for what was going on,” Kinsel said.

After a call was placed to a supervisor for help with his canine find, Kinsel said he wrapped the little female dog in an extra jacket and sat in the truck to keep her warm.

“It was 30 degrees outside this morning, I wanted to keep it as warm as I could,” he said. “She looked a little scared but as she started to understand what I was doing, she showed a sense of relief.”

The puppy that is estimated by a veterinarian to be 10 to 12 weeks old has been named Tipper, according to Molly Yeager, Rumpke Waste and Recycling spokeswoman.

“There is a mechanism on the back of the truck called a tipper that helps pick up trash carts and recycling carts. It is in honor of that,” she said.

Kendra Catherman, region safety manager for Rumpke who previously worked with Animal Friends Humane Society in Butler County, said they were hopeful Tipper would just need some food and water. But the puppy was injured and required veterinary care.

“We noticed she had a lameness in her back leg,” Catherman said.

That’s when they reached out to Westside Animal Clinic. Tipper had a badly broken leg, which had to be amputated, but she will make a full recovery and will live a full life, according to Catherman.

Rumpke will be taking care of the vet bills, and Tipper will being staying with Kinsel’s family.

“My in-laws are excited to know they can adopt the puppy and keep it in the family. My daughter is really excited.” he said.

About the Author