Missouri woman arrested after dead puppies found in vehicle | State News

A woman was charged with animal cruelty on Sunday after several dead puppies were found in her car.

Macey Casteel, 30, of Pittsburg was arrested on 13 counts of animal cruelty, according to court documents.

According to the probable cause statement, Greene County dispatch received a 911 call early Sunday morning that several dogs had been left unattended in a white Toyota Corolla for at least three hours. A Springfield police officer checked on the dogs around 6 a.m. but concluded they were not in distress, and Springfield Animal Control did not respond.

At around 9 a.m., an officer returned to the parking lot and found several stacks of dog crates in the car and heavy condensation on the windows. Some dogs appeared to be in distress, others appeared dead.

In his statement, the officer said that when he arrived, only six of the 13 dogs in the car appeared to be breathing.

At this point, Casteel approached the vehicle and admitted that the animals belonged to her. She was arrested for animal cruelty.

Casteel said she traveled to Oklahoma to sell the nine-week-old mini cockapoo puppies.

Several dogs had to be put down due to heat-related illnesses. Only three survived.