Bay Area animal shelter workers face animal cruelty charges after 7 puppies found dead in van

Three employees at a Bay Area animal shelter have been cited by police after seven puppies were found dead during a routine pet transportation in August.

The three individuals, all employed by the city-affiliated Pets in Need animal shelter in Palo Alto, were cited Tuesday, according to a news release from the city of Palo Alto, after the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and neglect against each of the three shelter employees.

The misdemeanor citations follow a two-month investigation after the puppies, all from the same litter and weighing about 9 pounds each, were found unresponsive after being transported from a shelter the Central Valley.

The puppies were among 27 dogs in total that were picked up and placed inside a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, which investigators found “lacked air conditioning in the rear cargo area.”

The temperature in the Central Valley, officials said, was 90 to 100 degrees. The individuals also neglected to provide the dogs and puppies any water, according to the Palo Alto news release.

The three individuals reportedly told officials that on the trip they stopped for gas in Los Banos, about 100 miles southeast of their destination, and alleged that the animals did not appear “distressed” during a check-in.

But upon arrival, the seven puppies were unresponsive and were not able to be resuscitated by veterinary staff, the news release said.

The shelter issued a statement on its website, calling the deaths a “tragic incident.”

“Pets in Need will continue to investigate this tragic event to learn exactly what happened and what changes in our practices and procedures may be necessary,” the organization said in its statement.

Pets in Need was contracted by Palo Alto to operate the city’s animal shelter in 2019.

A stock photo of a dog, unconnected to the incident, taken in Palo Alto.Yuval Helfman / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Three employees at a Bay Area animal shelter have been cited by police after seven puppies were found dead during a routine pet transportation in August. The three individuals, all employed by the city-affiliated Pets in Need animal shelter in Palo Alto, were cited Tuesday, according to a news release from the city of Palo Alto, after the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and neglect against each of the three shelter employees. The misdemeanor citations follow a two-month investigation after the puppies, all from the same litter and weighing about 9 pounds each, were found unresponsive after being transported from a shelter the Central Valley. The puppies were among 27 dogs in total that were picked up and placed inside a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, which investigators found “lacked air conditioning in the rear cargo area.” The temperature in the Central Valley, officials said, was 90 to 100 degrees. The individuals also neglected to provide the dogs and puppies any water, according to the Palo Alto news release. The three individuals reportedly told officials that on the trip they stopped for gas in Los Banos, about 100 miles southeast of their destination, and alleged that the animals did not appear “distressed” during a check-in. But upon arrival, the seven puppies were unresponsive and were not able to be resuscitated by veterinary staff, the news release said. The shelter issued a statement on its website, calling the deaths a “tragic incident.” “Pets in Need will continue to investigate this tragic event to learn exactly what happened and what changes in our practices and procedures may be necessary,” the organization said in its statement. Pets in Need was contracted by Palo Alto to operate the city’s animal shelter in 2019.