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Puppies thrown away in Pennsylvania dumpster

The animals were in rough shape, but are being cared for at an animal shelter.

SCRANTON, Pa. — An investigation is underway after two puppies were found in a dumpster in Lackawanna County.

The animals were in rough shape but are being cared for at an animal shelter.

"It made me sick to my stomach. Terrible, terrible."

Bob Tighe describes the moment he saw these two puppies left inside a dumpster on this hot day.

The male and female pit bull mixes were found in an alley outside The Lounge in West Scranton.

"The bartender came in and told me that he was dumping in the dumpster, saw two puppies. I came out, located the puppies. We had to take all the garbage out of the dumpster," said Tighe.

Scranton Animal Control took the puppies to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter in South Abington Township to be cared for.

Marci Zeiler is the Humane Society Police Officer.

"The puppies are in really bad conditions. They are both pretty severely emaciated, both body conditions of about one out of nine, which is about as low as it goes," she said.

Zeiler says the puppies had so many factors against them in this situation that it's a miracle they made it here.

"On top of the risk of them being crushed, once they get into a truck, once it gets picked up, or them starving to death; with those lids down, it gets really hot in there," she added.

Investigators believe the puppies were dumped anywhere between 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night or Wednesday around 4:30 p.m.

They hope security cameras in the area will help, along with an Intex brand pool bag the puppies were found in.

"Any kind of cameras in the area that may be able to pick up somebody traveling with that bag. We are thinking both of them were in there to conceal them to keep them from being seen when they were throwing them in the dumpster." Zeiler said.

If you have any tips about who might have dumped the puppies, you are asked to contact the Humane Society Police Officer at Griffin Pond Animal Shelter at  (570) 586-3700 or to contact the Scranton Animal Control.

See more pets and animal stories on WNEP’s YouTube playlist.

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