SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego Humane Society requested information Friday that would help identify the person or persons who abandoned nine puppies in a dog-food bag in Escondido.
A third party found the puppies Thursday at Kit Carson Park and promptly brought them to the organization's Escondido campus. The puppies, who appear to be 10-to-14-day-old Shar Pei mixes, were cold, dehydrated and covered in urine and excrement inside the bag when found, the Humane Society said.
"This is a heartbreaking case, because we would have taken those puppies at San Diego Humane Society, no questions asked," Humane Society Law Enforcement Sgt. Laurel Monreal said. "Anyone who needs help with their animals can bring them to us. We are an open admission shelter."
Humane Society medical staff fed, bathed and treated the puppies when they arrived at the shelter. The puppies are now receiving constant care in the organization's partnered foster homes.
After receiving the puppies, the Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement unit subsequently began an felony cruelty investigation. San Diego Crime Stoppers is also offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the responsible party's arrest.
County residents with information regarding the case can contact the Crime Stoppers' anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477 or Humane Society Law Enforcement at (619) 299-7012. For more information, visit their website.