5 puppies found abandoned in Phoenix dumpster inside duffel bag

PHOENIX (FOX 10) — The Arizona Humane Society and Phoenix Police are investigating after five puppies were found in a duffel bag discarded in a dumpster.

AHS' Animal Cruelty Investigator along with police responded to the area of 7th Avenue and Baseline Road where the puppies were found in a dumpster. Two of the puppies were dead and three were alive.

"A Good Samaritan went to throw out some trash in the dumpster, and they saw a duffel bag moving, so they opened it and there were five puppies in there," said Kelsey Dickerson with the Arizona Humane Society.

Patrick and Lori, who live right where it happened, said they see stray dogs all the time in the area, and possibly saw the puppies' mother on Monday before she ran off.

"Yesterday before taking the dogs for a walk there was actually a female that was sleeping by our house, and she was a black female that looked like she could have definitely have been the mother."

The surviving puppies are all female, 11-week-old Chihuahua mixes. Trauma vets at AHS examined them and say they are doing very well.

"Yesterday, before taking the dogs for a walk, there was actually a female that was sleeping by our house, and she was a black female that looked like she could have definitely have been the mother," said Patrick.

AHS says the puppies will be available for adoption starting on Thursday, while the bodies of the dead puppies will be sent to Midwestern University for necropsies.

Meanwhile, Dickerson said there are many options for people who are unable to care for puppies, and throwing them away like garbage is never one of them.

"Our pet resource center is there for you 365 days a year," said Dickerson. "We're going to give you resources, or at the very least, we're going to bring them in to find them forever homes."

Anyone with information should leave an anonymous tip by calling Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Spanish speakers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Testigo Silencioso at 480-TESTIGO.

Si tiene alguna información sobre este caso, llame a la línea de Testigo Silencioso (480-TESTIGO, 480-837-8446).

Silent Witness
http://www.silentwitness.org/