NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The NYPD released a video on Monday of officers saving five puppies being illegally sold in a hot, urine-soaked bag on a street corner in Queens.
The NYPD officers captured the rescue on their body cameras, where they found five pit bull puppies inside a pink bag on Saturday at around 6:50 p.m. at Beach Channel Drive and Horton Avenue in Far Rockaway near Dollar General.
The officers noticed the woman, identified as Shirley Medina, retrieving a sack when a potential buyer asked about additional puppies. When the officers heard mention of dogs inside the bag, they interfered.
The bodycam footage shows the officers opening the sack and finding five puppies inside. The puppies were visibly distressed and covered in urine. "They’re so hot," one officer is heard saying in the video. "They’re dripping in sweat." Another officer said, "These dogs could’ve been dead in five minutes."
The officers gev the dogs some water before transferring them to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in Manhattan for evaluation.
Medina, 44, was arrested on multiple charges, including six counts of animal torture, six counts of neglect, and criminal possession of a weapon.