A $5,000 reward has been offered after a litter of puppies were intentionally burned to death, officials say.
Thirteen puppies were discovered by a resident of Lexington, Kentucky on May 29 at the intersection of Todds Road and North Cleveland.
Seven puppies died at the scene in the “intentional burning”, according to a news release from the Humane Society of the United States, which is offering the reward.
The rest succumbed to their injuries at a local vet’s office. The puppies were only eight days old.
“It’s heartbreaking to even imagine what horrendous torture these puppies went through at only eight days old,” state director of the Humane Society, Todd Blevins, said.
“There is no excuse for this kind of cruelty. We hope our reward helps find the perpetrator of this despicable act.”
Lieutenant Jai Hamilton with Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control told the humane society that she plans to file thirteen felony counts of animal cruelty in the first-degree against the people responsible. The Independent emailed Hamilton for comment.
No other details about the crimes have been released. In a video posted on the Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control’s Facebook page, some of the puppies can be seen on a person’s lap after they were rescued. One of the puppies has visible burn marks on its neck.
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact the city’s animal control agency.
