WILLISTON, Fla. -  Police officers found a puppy buried alive near a pit in north Florida.

Williston Police Chief Dennis Strow told The Gainesville Sun that officers were disposing of evidence per a court order Thursday when they heard whimpering sounds.

Once they found the source of the sound, they started digging and rescued the puppy. He was head-first in an eight-inch hole and they believe he'd been there less than an hour.

Strow says the puppy was rushed to an animal clinic, where workers fed him with a baby bottle and started him on solid food.

The chief says the puppy, who is about two weeks old, will be placed "in a loving home."

In the meantime, Strow says police want to know who buried the puppy.