Animal cruelty investigation receives five tips, body of seventh puppy found

Six days into its investigation of an animal cruelty case involving six puppies abandoned in an Issaquah area dumpster last Thursday, King County Animal Services and Pasado's Safe Haven have received five tips related to this case. King County Animal Services has also identified the body of a seventh puppy also abandoned in the dumpster.

 Six days into its investigation of an animal cruelty case involving six puppies abandoned in an Issaquah area dumpster last Thursday, King County Animal Care and Control and Pasado's Safe Haven have received five tips related to this case. King County Animal Care and Control has also identified the body of a seventh puppy also abandoned in the dumpster.

The Animal Care and Control officer who responded to the scene last week rescued six malnourished and dehydrated puppies from a computer box inside the large, trash-filled dumpster. He did an initial sweep of the site before rushing the surviving animals to the King County Kent Animal Shelter veterinarian. A subsequent search of the site for clues to the abandonment turned up the body of an additional two pound female puppy from the litter buried under layers of garbage in the container.

The condition of the body and a necropsy performed yesterday revealed that the seventh puppy was severely malnourished, dehydrated, worm-ridden and appears to have died from exposure. The puppy was not in the box with its littermates in the dumpster. The other six puppies huddled together in the box during their ordeal and managed to survive until someone heard their cries and called Animal Care and Control for rescue.

"Our officer who responded to the scene acted quickly to get the puppies to the Animal Shelter where they could be treated for malnutrition and dehydration and receive proper care," said Al Dams, acting manager of Animal Care and Control and Programs. "One was too malnourished and passed away soon after reaching the clinic. The discovery of another abandoned puppy is heartbreaking. Staff are retracing their steps, methodically reviewing investigative procedures and are asking for the public's help in finding the person or people responsible for abandoning these helpless puppies They could have taken them to an animal shelter or an animal clinic. To dump them like trash is a senseless act of animal cruelty."

Investigation progress

• Evidence is being evaluated and leads generated will be followed up on.

• Animal Care and Control has partnered with Pasado's Safe Haven and staff and volunteers have gone door-to-door and canvassed the area near the dumpster where the puppies were originally found and continue to compile evidence in the case.

• Animal Care and Control investigators are working off five tips provided by the public since a $5,000 reward was announced by Pasado's Safe Haven and $2,500 by the Humane Society of the United States on Monday.

As is customary with animal cruelty investigations, additional details about the case can not be revealed until the case is solved or closed.

If convicted, the person or people responsible for abandoning the puppies could face animal cruelty charges and could face time in jail.

The five puppies that survived in the dumpster responded well to care at King County's Kent Animal Shelter. The staff veterinarian reports the puppies that survived gained weight and are interacting socially with people. The animals will be released to King County foster care volunteers today. If you're interested in adopting a puppy, e-mail pets@kingcounty.gov. The puppies will not be available for adoption until sometime in mid-February.

King County Animal Care and Control investigators are asking the public to help find anyone who might have any information about the puppies. Anyone with direct knowledge in the case should call: 206-296-3958.

King County Animal Care and Control has served residents of unincorporated King County and all cities except Seattle, Renton, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Milton, and Medina since 1972 by promoting and enforcing humane treatment of animals. King County provides field enforcement services for over 2,200 square miles. Services include animal rescue, cruelty and neglect investigations, enforcement of animal ordinances and control of dangerous, stray and loose animals and livestock. For more information, please visit metrokc.gov/pets or call 206-296-PETS (7387).