Dog Found Zipped In Backpack Now In A New Home

If a passerby had not noticed, and cared enough to investigate, Jan the dog might not have survived.

This nine-pound, probably nine-year-old Pomeranian was found zipped inside the backpack and dumped beside a sidewalk in West Roxbury last week. The dog could easily have died of exposure or starvation if the passerby had not seen the bag, and cared enough to check what was inside.

"It was so odd to find a backpack close to the sidewalk but seemingly intentionally hidden underneath a bush-so I felt compelled to investigate," said West Roxbury resident Andrea DesJardins, who spotted the bag near the intersection of Center and Willow Streets on May 18, in a statement."As I got closer I could see that something was moving inside the bag-I immediately loosened the zipper and was shocked to find a startled, chocolate brown Pomeranian staring back at me."

Not only did she survive, but she's got a wonderful new home, the MSPCA announced on Wednesday.

Jan lives with retired art teacher Judy Armour in Bridgewater.

"Jan is thrilled to be home and we are thrilled for her," said Rob Halpin, spokesperson for the MSPCA.

The MSPCA surmised that Jan was likely bought from a breeder in Missouri, shipped to Massachusetts about a decade ago. Jan has a microchip that was purchased by the Missouri Pet Breeders Association-likely to satisfy minimum requirements established by airlines who fly pets onboard their planes-but that chip was never populated with an owner's contact information.

Photos via MSPCA