ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — San Diego Humane Society officials are looking for the individual who abandoned nine puppies in a plastic bag in the North County sometime this week.
The puppies were found in an emptied dog food bag sealed with duct tape at Thursday morning at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, officials said. The Good Samaritan who made the discovery immediately brought the puppies to the society's Escondido campus.
The puppies appear to be Shar Pei mixes, about 10 to 14 days old. When they were found, officials say they were cold, dehydrated, and covered in feces and urine inside the bag.
Staff provided medical treatment to the dogs, fed them multiple times, bathed them, and moved them into foster homes to receive 24-hour care.
SDHS law enforcement officers have started a felony cruelty investigation to find the person responsible for leaving the puppies behind.
"This is a heartbreaking case, because we would have taken those puppies at San Diego Humane Society, no questions asked," said Laurel Monreal, sergeant of humane law enforcement for SDHS. "Anyone who needs help with their animals can bring them to us. We are an open admission shelter."
Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the crime. Anyone with information is asked to call 888-580-8477 or SHS law enforcement at 619-299-7012.
SDHS did not say whether when and if the puppies would be offered for adoption yet.
