A woman suspected of dumping a bag containing seven 3-day-old puppies behind an auto parts store in Southern California has been arrested by Riverside County animal control and law enforcement officials.
Animal services spokesman John Welsh said Deborah Sue Culwell was arrested at her residence in Coachella Monday evening. Culwell is facing up to seven counts of felony animal cruelty, Welsh said.
Officials said store surveillance video shows a woman pulled up in a Jeep next to a trash bin outside the Napa Auto Parts store just after 1 p.m. last Thursday.
The video then shows the woman got out of the vehicle carrying a plastic bag. She walked toward a bin used for recycling materials, opened the lid, dropped it in, and drove away, animal services officials said.
A passerby saw the incident and contacted a store employee, who called the Riverside County Department of Animal Services. An officer arrived less than an hour later and collected the puppies, believed to be terrier mix.
Source: USA Today
