“Throw Away” Puppy Rescued from Recycling Plant to be Adopted

More than 200 people from across the country expressed interest in adopting Gem

An injured poodle puppy rescued from a recycling conveyor belt in San Francisco last month will be adopted by a Recology employee, San Francisco Animal Care and Control officials said Wednesday.

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More than 200 people from around the country expressed interest in adopting the 3-month-old female apricot poodle puppy, nicknamed "Gem," which was spotted on Dec. 20 by Recology employees after she was unloaded onto a conveyor belt in a truckload of recyclables, said Animal Care and Control spokeswoman Deb Campbell.

A Recology staff member, who had the support of the two employees who rescued the puppy, won the lottery to adopt Gem and will pick her up Thursday afternoon at Animal Care and Control's shelter, Campbell said.

Gem has spent the past month in foster care recovering from her injuries, which included bite marks around her neck, head and ears as well as lameness in her hind legs and discharge in her eyes and ears.

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Despite her injuries, most of which appear to have occurred before she was thrown into a recycling bin, the puppy was alert and responsive when she was found, officials said.

The two employees who spotted and rescued Gem were honored by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors earlier this month.

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