HOUSTON -- At first glance, Jennifer Flores believed she saw tree limbs in a city of Houston work truck traveling on the Eastex Freeway.
But as she drove closer, the teacher from northeast Houston was appalled to see they were limbs of a different sort.
Sticking outside of the barrel were the legs of a deceased dog that had been seemingly thrown in.
"To see that, it kinda shows that's the city's attitude towards animals," Flores said. "They're nothing but trash standing on their heads in the bottom of a trash can."
She posted the disturbing picture of the discarded dog on Facebook and got all sorts of feedback.
"Someone commented to me, 'What do you want them to do, bring out a hearse and a dozen lillies?'" she said. "No, but there's some common respect."
That's when this self-proclaimed animal activist, who has two dogs of her own, contacted KHOU 11.
We sent her picture to the city of Houston and a spokesperson confirmed that the truck belonged to the Solid Waste Management Department.
A spokesperson said that the driver was on his way to the landfill but didn't follow procedure.
The statement went on to say that...
"The employee should have placed the dead animal in a plastic bag and then placed the dead animal carefully and responsibly in the bed of the vehicle. Smaller dead animals can be placed in the plastic container; however, they should also be bagged first.
The employee's supervisor will meet with him to discuss the uncompromising care that is expected, the proper procedures to follow and the appropriate action that will be taken so this doesn't happen again."
Flores takes a little comfort in knowing that the employee will go through some sort of retraining after seeing the image that left a lasting impression.
"I would just like to see a little bit more respect for animals of Houston," she said.
