Wolcott police have arrested a man who is accused of dumping a nursing dog on the side of the road and selling her puppies, which were just days old and too young to be removed from their mom.
A passerby found the young mother dog running up Spindle Hill by the intersection of Mad River Road in April, Wolcott Dog Pound said on Facebook, and that prompted an investigation.
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Police said Jose Solivan, 27, of Waterbury, is accused of dumping Mya, the mother, on the side of the road and selling her puppies out of a Walmart parking lot for $100.
When Mya arrived at animal control, she was howling for her puppies and animal control raced to find the newborns that needed their mother to survive.
They posted a reward online and people turned over some of the pups.
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Five of the seven puppies have been recovered and they are doing well, police said. Mom is doing well too. The puppies will remain at animal control for two more weeks, then they can be adopted, according to officials.
Solivan has been charged with cruelty to animals and false statement and he turned himself in to the Wolcott Police Department after learning of the warrant.
He has been ordered not to possess any domestic animals, police said.
He has been released on a promise to appear and is due in court on June 20.
