A puppy is being cared for by the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh in Homewood after police said his owner zipped him inside a suitcase on Christmas Day. 

When you see him, you would never know how his little life got started. The little white dog loves to play and has quickly become a favorite at HARP.

However, nearly two weeks ago, Pittsburgh police said his owner, 56-year-old Jayme White, zipped him inside a suitcase she was carrying on Christmas Day. They said a witness told them she was yelling at the dog and hit it several times before putting it in the bag.

Now White is facing several charges, including animal neglect and public drunkenness.

HARP executive director Dan Cody said animal control brought them the puppy the next morning.

“When the dog arrived, he was in relatively good condition, given the circumstances,” Cody said. 

They couldn’t find any signs of physical abuse.

“He was a little bit shy, but he very quickly warmed up,” Cody said.

They believe he’s about two and a half months old now, and expect he’ll be a large breed. Most importantly, they said he’s completely healthy.

“He’s just so energetic and loving,” Cody said.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office told KDKA that White has surrendered custody of the animal to the rescue, so once he’s neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, he should be up for adoption in the coming days.

“We’ll find a great home for him,” Cody said.

While the circumstances remain unclear, Cody hopes this case serves as a reminder that owning a pet comes with a great responsibility.

“If you do know someone who is struggling or needs help, we are a place where you can come for resources,” Cody said.

White is now out of jail after a judge ruled she get a mental health evaluation. Her preliminary hearing is set for April.

In his inaugural address, Mayor Corey O’Connor promised to pull Pittsburgh out of financial troubles and turn the city around. 

He says he’ll make tough decisions to cut costs, improve services and strengthen public safety by rebuilding the Pittsburgh police force. And he says he won’t manage decline but push for growth with new development Downtown and in the neighborhoods.
He says he wants Pittsburgh to believe in itself again.

“Our city has become a culture of we can’t, we won’t — a culture of no,” O’Connor said. “Now, it’s time to change Pittsburgh’s culture, both how we feel about ourselves and how the world sees us. It’s time to become a city of hope and optimism where your dreams can come true. A Pittsburgh where each and every time we can, we get to yes.” 

O’Connor says he and his administration are set to hit the ground running, meaning you won’t be seeing him much at city hall.

“I don’t like sitting behind the desk. The mayor’s job shouldn’t be behind the desk eight hours a day. It needs to be out in the community, hearing from people about what they want to see in Pittsburgh,” O’Connor said. 

O’Connor already has plans of his own to address the city’s financial crisis and turn Pittsburgh around. With a failing fleet, understaffing and runaway overtime coupled with Downtown building assessments in free fall, he believes you can’t continue to raise taxes and manage decline. Instead, he will push a decidedly pro-growth agenda, incentivizing the building of new housing and converting Downtown offices to residential. 

“Making sure that we come out strong with our growth plan,” O’Connor said. “Can we have a Downtown fund that helps bridge these gaps so that some of these buildings happen a lot quicker? Can we streamline permitting? We hear about permitting from everyone.” 

As mayor, he says he’ll unveil a plan to revitalize the neighborhoods by encouraging small businesses to take over empty storefronts. And, he has already reached out to the city’s major nonprofits to help with payments in lieu of taxes.

“Word is that you already have some sort of rough agreement with UPMC to buy ambulances?” KDKA-TV’s Andy Sheehan asked. 

“I can’t say for certain that everything is done,” O’Connor said. “We’ve met with the nonprofits to have those detailed conversations. What can they do to benefit the city?” 

Before COVID, Pittsburgh had become the darling of the national and international press as a city on the move that had transformed itself, rising from the ashes of the steel industry. O’Connor says he wants Pittsburgh to get its mojo back.

“As the mayor, you have to be the biggest cheerleader of this city and this region, calling companies all over the country and the world and say, ‘have you thought about Pittsburgh?’” O’Connor said. 

And he says there will be no greater chance to jumpstart the city than to take advantage of the upcoming NFL draft.

“If we get more people seeing Pittsburgh, and there’s going to be 50 million eyes on us that week, now we get a chance to tell our story. And I think that helps us turn the tide and believing in Pittsburgh again and putting us on the national stage.”