COACHELLA, Calif. – A California woman was arrested Monday, several days after police say surveillance video caught her throwing a bag full of newborn puppies into a dumpster.
Police took 54-year-old Deborah Culwell into custody in Coachella, Calif. She faces seven counts of felony animal abuse.
Investigators said they identified her through a license plate number on her jeep, which was visible in the surveillance video.
Video of the incident on Thursday showed a woman dumping a plastic bag full of seven puppies in a dumpster behind an auto parts store.
“To be in a sealed plastic bag on a day when temperatures were in the mid-90s, it’s just a despicable shameful act,” said John Welsh, who works with the Riverside County Department of Animal Services
Fortunately, someone rescued the pups a short time later. The dogs are being cared for at a foster home and are expected to be fine.
