A homeless man in California is being hailed as a hero for his assistance in rescuing a litter of puppies allegedly tossed out by a woman last week.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, authorities in Coachella say a suspect was caught on surveillance camera tossing a bag with seven puppies beside a dumpster near a Napa Auto Parts location.
At the time, officials credited a man identified only as “John” for alerting an employee who in turn notified police, leading to the survival of each animal.
The U.K. Daily Mail spoke to 23-year-old Jazzy Espino, who was working at the store and helped rescue the puppies. She credits the good Samaritan for sparking a chain reaction that resulted in a happy ending.
“The dumpster is on the side of our store, no one ever goes back there,” Espino said. “If it wasn’t for the homeless guy digging through the trash minutes later, they wouldn’t have been found.”
She recalled the moment she learned of the disturbing discovery outside of the store.
“A customer came in and said that there was some puppies outside,” Espino said. “We put them in a box and then we brought them in. The puppies were really wet and sweating because they were so hot. They were crying and biting on our fingers because they were just so hungry. We were my holding the puppies to give them comfort.”
With temperatures in the mid-90s, she said the puppies might not have survived much longer in the bags.
Instead of directly seeking assistance, Espino said the man left the bag in plain sight.
“I guess he didn’t want to tell us in case we thought he was the one who left them,” she said.
Police arrested 54-year-old Deborah Sue Culwell on suspicion of dumping the animals, as CrimeOnline previously reported. Authorities reportedly found dozens of dogs at her home, which were transported to a shelter to receive proper care.
[Featured images: video screenshots]
