Kate Baumgartner studied on her computer on Monday outside Sacred Grounds in Edwardsville with her new-found friend.
Kate Baumgartner, 22, was on her way to church at St. Mary's on Sunday when she heard a bark coming from the dumpster near the Quik Trip in Glen Carbon.
When she crawled inside the dumpster she found an 8-week-old puppy inside a trash bag.
"I did cry," said Baumgartner, a student at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. "I didn't know what I was in for when I got in a dumpster, and there was a living animal, but I was in for a surprise!"
Her mother's neighbor happened to be a veterinarian, so she took the dog for a short visit Sunday morning.
"I made it to the vet but didn't make it to church," she said.
Baumgartner planned to take what she thinks is a Shepherd-Boxer mix puppy for an actual veterinarian checkup Tuesday and for shots. Her mother's neighbor suspected the pup had bruised ribs and a tail broken at least once.
Baumgartner named the puppy "Layla."
Layla alternates between playing and sleeping and seems to like keeping Baumgartner awake at night, she said.