Tefillin are among the most precious possessions of any religious man. It is not just because of the price, which can be $2000 for a quality pair. They are holy items which must be kept in a safe place and when they are no longer usable, must be disposed of in a geniza like all holy writings.
So when a Rochester, NY man accidentally through out his Tefillin with the garbage, and discovered his mistake in shock, a team of volunteers came to his rescue. One person even put up a cash reward for the return of the Tefillin.
Dozens of religious volunteers from the religious community searched over several days for the lost pair of Tefillin and against all odds managed to locate them in the local garbage dump.
A similar incident that occurred in Tel Aviv a year and a half ago also ended with the Tefillin found with the aid of several officials from the local municipality.