Two Houston men were arrested Thursday after Texas troopers reportedly found more than two dozen puppies in the back of a moving van with no food or water in temperatures exceeding 120 degrees.
Texarkana, Texas, Police Department officers found one French bulldog puppy dead and 27 more distressed in the sweltering cargo area of the van driven by Adam Darwish, 19, and Mahmoud Eid, 18, according to a department news release.
Police and animal control officers were dispatched to the parking lot of Liberty-Eylau Elementary School to assist Texas Department of Public Safety troopers after they stopped a Penske moving truck on a traffic violation.
Approaching the truck, troopers reportedly noticed the roll gate was slightly open. After speaking with Darwish and Eid, they discovered 14 small pet crates inside the cargo area, each containing two French bulldog puppies, according to TTPD.
One of the puppies was dead and the others appeared to be in physical distress, authorities said. The troopers then notified Texas-side police to take over the investigation and requested assistance from animal control.
No food or water was available to the puppies in the truck and the ambient temperature inside the cargo area was measured at 121 degrees, police said. Animal control officers unloaded the remaining 27 puppies and took them inside the school to cool them off, the press release states.
The surviving dogs were taken to a local veterinary clinic for treatment and remain there for observation. The case is under investigation while officers work to determine where the dogs came from and where they were going, as well as who owns them.
The puppies are not expected to be available for adoption after the investigation is completed, according to police.
Darwish and Eid are charged with 28 counts of animal cruelty. They were booked into the Bi-State Justice Building jail. Bail was set at $2,500 on each of the 28 misdemeanor counts for a total bond of $70,000 for each defendant. Both defendants have been released on bond.