TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – A man is charged with two counts of animal abandonment, after the Toledo Area Humane Society said he abandoned six puppies and their mother by a dumpster. The puppies were inside a zipped-up suitcase on the 3400 block of Stickney.
"Apparently the gentleman who owned them was moving away, and it appears as though they didn't fit into the move," said John Dinon, the Director for the Toledo Area Humane Society.
Scott Snyder, or "Highway," said he saw everything happen.
"I saw a gentleman in a silver pick-up drop something near the dumpster. I thought, 'Well, people do that.' When he took off, I see a female dog chasing him."
He said Maddie, the puppies' mother, made her way back to the dumpster and kept guard of something. Highway followed Maddie, and he found a suitcase. Inside were six bulldog mixes.
"Not only could they have suffocated, they could have got run over," Highway said. "I'm just glad I was here to save them."
Howard Davis' name was on the suitcase luggage tag. The mother of the puppies was also registered in his name. Officials said it did not take much time to track Davis down.
Davis faces two charges of animal abandonment, one for the mother and one for the litter of puppies. Abandonment is a second degree misdemeanor, which could mean a maximum fine of $1,500 and 180 days in jail total.
"People need to understand that if you have an animal you can't care for, bring them to the humane society. We're an open-admission facility that will accept any animal that anyone wants to bring to us. So if you have an animal you can't care for, call us up. We'll make an appointment. We'll have you bring it in. The animal will get good care, and you won't be charged with a crime," Dinon said.
The four-week-old mixed English bulldog puppies are currently at the Toledo Area Humane Society, and employees have already received dozens of calls about the puppies. The puppies will not be for adoption for at least another four weeks. However, Dinon stated there are several other animals available for adoption immediately.
