Police in Meriden are on the hunt for puppies, just weeks old that have been separated from their mother.
Police in Meriden are on the hunt for puppies, just weeks old that have been separated from their mother. The dog was found in a plaza near a vacant store and investigators believe she was dumped.
Two teens located the dog, according to animal control, brought her home, and had their mother call police. She was surrendered to animal control, but the hunt is still on for the puppies.
Animal control has named the dog Petals, and she is a young female hound mix, and when she howls, you can hear it.
She is about the size of a beagle and has an incredibly sweet demeanor. Based on her rough shape, investigators believe she was neglected and is a new mother.
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“We don’t know if the puppies are still alive or not, it seems like if they were taken away it couldn’t be more than a couple weeks old,” Sarah Bacon, one of the animal control officers in Meriden, said.
They believe the puppies can’t be more than a few weeks old and they said are way too young to be away from their mother.
“She was just skin and bones at the time,” Bacon said.
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Animal advocacy organization Desmond’s Army said there has been a 36% jump in animal abuse cases in the last year. Since the start of 2025, they have tracked 184 animal abuse cases through the Connecticut courts.
“The numbers are unacceptable, and something has to be done,” Cannamela said. “The laws need to be upheld by the courts.”
The organization continues to push for stricter penalties for animal abuse or neglect and in the meantime, they continue to push out the realities animals are facing on social media - believing transparency can mean accountability.
“People need to know what’s going on, and with animal control officers and organizations putting it out there, it helps to raise the awareness,” Cannamela said.
Meriden Animal Control has taken that approach, making sure Petal’s sweet face is out there so people can see.
“We want the public to know what’s going on, we want the truth out there, we want transparency, and we want people to know what’s going on in the animal world and the cruelty we are seeing,” Bacon said.
Animal control officers are asking anyone with information about Petals to reach out, and Desmond’s Army is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of whoever's responsible.
As for Petals herself, her future looks bright. Animal control will be bringing her back to full health and she has already gained some weight back.
Once she is back to health, she will either be adopted out from animal control or one of their partner organizations will handle the adoption process.
