Surveillance Video Captures Woman Throwing 7-Day-Old Puppies in Dumpster

Authorities are seeking help from the public to identify a woman who threw a litter of puppies into the dumpster in Coachella, California, on April 18.

A woman was captured on a surveillance video pulling up behind the Napa Auto Parts at 49251 Grapefruit Blvd in a Jeep a little after 1 p.m. in the afternoon, according to KTLA. The video was released by the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

The video showed the woman getting out of the car with a plastic bag in hand that contained the litter of puppies. She made her way to a dumpster that was out the back and threw the bag in hand into the dumpster before leaving in her car.

Not long after the woman threw the puppies into the dumpster, a passerby, John, rummaged through the trash and found the 7-day-old puppies in the plastic bag. He immediately took the puppies into the Napa store before calling the authorities.

The officer that responded to the call told KTLA that it was lucky that the man found the puppies the time he did, or else the puppies wouldn’t have made it. Temperatures can get really hot in Coachella, and on that particular day, the temperature was in the mid-90s. It would have been even hotter in that dumpster.

Officials seek public’s help IDing woman caught on video tossing bag of newborn puppies into dumpster behind auto parts shop in Coachella https://t.co/oioNFdzUoQ

— KTLA (@KTLA) April 20, 2019

Animal Services Commander Chris Mayer said what they had witnessed on the surveillance camera was a really despicable thing for a person to do.

“There is no excuse for dumping puppies,” Mayer said. “Especially in today’s age when we or other shelters would be willing to get these animals to foster parents or rescue partners.”

The Animals Services officials are working together with the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office to identify the woman, according to KTLA.

The officials estimated that the abandoned puppies were only about three days old and that, judging by their appearances, they might be terrier mixes, according to KTLA.

Fortunately, a non-profit organization in Orange County, MeoowzResQ, agreed to take the puppies. The three-day-old puppies were transferred to them after being taken care by veterinarians.

Anyone who has any information about this investigation into the woman’s identity is encouraged to call the Department of Animal Services.

Similar Cases

In 2018, a strange dog suddenly appeared in the yard of the Columbus County Animal Shelter in North Carolina, and horrified staff realized the dog had been thrown over the fence—there was no other way it could have gotten in.

The starving dog, later named Sully, had a series of health issues—heartworm, anemia, skin infections, and a tick-born disease. He was also severely underweight.

A dog in such a condition would rarely have a chance of finding a forever home.

But the shelter was already filled with dogs in a similar condition to Sully.

Staff hoped that someone out there would be able to step in and take Sully, so they posted the details on Facebook. Their prayers were soon answered in the form of foster mom Anne Mellon with Hope Animal Rescue. She had a keen eye for dogs in distress and was instantly moved when she saw pictures of poor Sully.

Mellon and her roommate took him in under their wing and gave him the care and attention he so desperately needed. With regular vet visits and a good diet, his appearance began to change drastically, and before long he looked like a totally different dog.

After that, it didn’t take long for Sully to find his forever home.

He was adopted by a woman named Melissa, who had adopted in the past from Hope Animal Rescue.

The Epoch Times reporter Chris Ford contributed to this article.