A young dog is recovering after a traumatic event which saw her set on fire by a pair of juveniles in Savannah, Georgia, and left to die after being placed in a trash can.

Two police officers helped rescue the puppy after a security guard called them having seen two young people run away from the trash can which had smoke pouring out of it. When the officers investigated, they found the burned puppy in the trash can, and swiftly took her to Savannah Animal Care to be looked after.

The puppy, renamed Phoenix, suffered burns on 15 percent of the body as well as smoke inhalation but appears to be happy and doing well in video reports from local media. Credit: Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department via Storyful