LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California woman could face up to seven years behind bars on a slew of charges filed Tuesday after authorities say surveillance video showed her casually tossing a bag of 3-day-old, palm-sized puppies into a trash can on a sweltering day.
Deborah Sue Culwell, 54, was charged with seven felony counts of injuring the puppies and seven misdemeanor counts of abandoning them.
Riverside County Animal Services has not responded to requests about whether the puppies’ mother was among 38 dogs found inside Culwell’s home and whether she has been reunited with her litter.
The case drew national attention after surveillance video showed a woman dropping a bag with the puppies into the trash Thursday before taking off in a Jeep Wrangler. Authorities posted the video and say they ultimately found and arrested Culwell on Monday after a search based on the Jeep’s license plate.
It’s unclear if Culwell has an attorney. Her number is unlisted.
Video of the arrest shows Culwell her being led from her home as a reporter with KNBC-TV peppers her with questions such as, “Why would you throw those puppies away like trash?” and “Do you have anything to say about your actions?”
A handcuffed Culwell remained silent as she was taken from her home in Coachella, a desert city about 130 miles (209 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
The five male and two female puppies, believed to be terrier mixes, survived after spending about an hour inside a plastic bag in the dumpster, which was open. A man heard them crying and took the puppies to a nearby store, where an employee called authorities.
The pups were dehydrated and malnourished and are being cared for by volunteers who are bottle-feeding them.
“If not for the good Samaritan’s actions, the puppies may not have survived much longer,” the animal services agency said in a news release, adding that temperatures in the area had reached the mid-90s on Thursday.
“There is no excuse for dumping puppies,” Chris Mayer, commander of animal services, said in a statement. “Especially in today’s age when we or other shelters would be willing to get these animals to foster parents or rescue partners. This was a shameful act.”
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