Likely, you’ve experienced it before — a small, last-minute decision that changes the course of your day. Maybe you leave home earlier than usual, stop at a different coffee shop, or take another route to avoid traffic. Most of the time, these minor adjustments pass unnoticed. But occasionally, even the smallest shift can lead to something life-changing.
That’s exactly what happened to Malissa Sergent Lewis on an ordinary summer morning in 2016.
Malissa, who works at an elementary school in Kentucky, was running late for work that day. Wanting to make up for lost time, she decided to take a quieter back road instead of the busy highway she usually drove. It seemed like a simple, practical choice — one she might not have remembered the next day.
But she will never forget it.
As Malissa drove along the nearly empty road, something unusual caught her attention. Lying in the middle of the pavement was a black trash bag. At first glance, it looked like ordinary roadside litter. But as she approached, she noticed something unsettling.
The bag moved.
“I saw this trash bag in the road, and I thought to myself, ‘Did I just see that bag move?’” Malissa later recalled. The closer she got, the clearer it became that the bag was shifting slightly. Whatever was inside was alive.
Her heart pounding, Malissa pulled her car to the side of the road. She had no idea what she might find — it could have been an injured animal, or something dangerous. Still, she knew she couldn’t simply drive away.
Stepping out carefully, she approached the bag. It was tightly tied at the top, which immediately told her something troubling: whatever was inside hadn’t gotten there by accident.
With trembling hands, she tore open one corner of the plastic.
Inside was a small puppy.
The moment light entered the bag, the tiny dog began wagging his tail. Despite being trapped in darkness and left in the middle of the road, he greeted his rescuer with pure joy.
“It was a puppy. And he sure was glad to see me,” Malissa said. “As soon as I opened it up and he saw light, he just started wagging his tail. I couldn’t believe it.”
The sight was both heartbreaking and infuriating. Someone had deliberately placed the helpless animal inside a trash bag and left him on the road, where he could have been struck by a vehicle at any moment. Even a few more minutes in the summer heat could have ended very differently.
The puppy was wearing a collar but had no identification tags. Malissa gently lifted him into her car, determined not to leave him behind. Since she was already late for work, she brought the puppy with her to school, where he quickly became the center of attention.
Later that day, her son helped take the puppy home. Together, they brought him to a veterinarian for a full examination and vaccinations. Thankfully, aside from dehydration and stress, the puppy appeared healthy.
Concerned about the possibility that someone might claim the dog under suspicious circumstances, Malissa contacted animal control. However, no missing puppy report had been filed, and no one came forward to claim him.
It remains unclear how the puppy ended up tied inside a trash bag on the side of the road. The act was cruel and difficult to comprehend. For Malissa, the question of who could abandon an innocent animal in such a way still lingers.
What began as a rushed morning and a simple detour turned into a rescue that changed more than one life.
Malissa and her family ultimately decided to adopt the puppy themselves, giving him a safe, loving home. The dog who was once discarded like garbage now receives the care, warmth, and affection he deserves.
All because one woman chose a different road that day.
Sometimes, the smallest decisions lead to the biggest acts of kindness.
The ways of the world are inscrutable. Malissa would not
