GARFIELD COUNTY – The last two surviving newborn puppies found in a bag with seven others have now passed away.
The puppies were sent to Divide Creek Animal Hospital when they were found inside of a plastic trash bag in a wooded area last week. The staff at the hospital spent hours working to save two of the pups. They had to be warmed up and then bottle fed every two hours.
The puppies were then picked up by Colorado Animal Rescue to be placed in specialized foster care where they had people who could see to their every need. Sadly, there was nothing more that they could do and both of the babies died.
News5 spoke with a staff member at the Divide Creek Animal Hospital on Monday. They said they are waiting for the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office to pick up the puppies to perform necropsies to find out if the puppies were poisoned in addition to being dumped in the woods.
It’s a tragic story with no happy ending and it could have been prevented. The easiest way to avoid ending up with a lot of unwanted puppies or even kittens is to have your animals neutered or spayed. If cost is an issue, many organizations offer low cost or free services.
If you end up with a litter of kittens or puppies, there are plenty of organizations that will take them in to find the animals a fur-ever home. The Humane Society of Pikes Peak does a terrific job of placing animals. If you have to surrender your own pet, it does cost $25, but if you’ve found a stray, there’s no charge.
There are numerous options across Colorado and someone is always willing to help if you contact them.
The abandonment of any animal, whether it lives or dies, by statute, is a Class 1 Misdemeanor and carries a minimum fine of $500.00. There is also a possibility of up to six months in jail. In this case, the charges could be made for each of the nine puppies making the potential fine $ 4500.00 or more. Additional charges including cruelty to animals and violation of county ordinances and regulations can also be cited and imposed.
The investigation into this crime is still active. If you have any information that may assist the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, please contact Dispatch at their non-emergency number 970-625-8095, they will, in turn, contact an “On Duty” Deputy to respond and follow up on any leads.
