John Welch, a representative for the National Animal Services Administration, confirmed to NBC News that the video showed a dark-haired woman in a skirt throwing a sealed bag into a trash can. A passerby, called “John,” noticed the bag about 15 minutes later. The puppies are believed to be a mix of burrowers.
John then took the puppies to a nearby air-conditioning store where the temperature that day was soaring above 90 degrees. Welch admitted that he doubted the pups would survive if they were left in the trash for any longer, as one of them died a few days after they were found.
Calwell was eventually identified by the authorities and taken into custody. She was charged with seven counts of animal cruelty, a felony in California. Additionally, when the police arrived at Calwell’s residence, they discovered horrific and appalling living conditions for 40 other dogs. Puppies left to die in a plastic bag weren’t the only victims.
Inside the house, the suspect was keeping 38 dogs, most of them suffering from malnutrition, health problems and filthy and cramped living conditions. Rescuers noticed that if you looked into their eyes, the dogs looked very frightened and nervous. They are clearly not used to being handled or on a leash.
Calwell’s initial bail was set at a pittance of $10,000, which Calwell sent and all the dogs were subsequently confined. However, city prosecutors asked the judge to increase the bail, given the seriousness of the crimes, as well as the large number of abused dogs.
According to Desert Sun, Calwell’s attorney, Joseph Kavanaugh, argued in court that bail should not be increased because, in his words, “puppies are not human.” However, the bail was raised to $50,000 anyway.
