Mission Viejo man accused of tossing puppies out the back of his vehicle

A Mission Viejo man may soon face animal cruelty charges after he allegedly tossed 10 newborn puppies out the back of his car in the middle of the night two weeks ago. 

It happened at 2:30 a.m. on July 24 when the suspect allegedly tossed the puppies into a set of bushes next to the road leading to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center. The shelter described the area as "coyote country."

A volunteer dog walker stumbled upon them in a vinyl puppy poop hours later.

The staff immediately brought the animals inside and nursed them back to health before sending them to foster homes. 

Animal Services launched an investigation into the owner's whereabouts. They started with surveillance video, which showed the suspect tossing the dogs but didn't capture the license plate. 

Despite that setback, investigators identified a possible suspect and found a vehicle matching the description the following day. The officers interviewed the suspect and determined that he had abandoned the newborn puppies. They also seized the mother dog and reunited her with her puppies. 

The department will file animal cruelty charges against the man with the Orange County District Attorney's Office. 

The mother and her puppies are in good health and will be available for adoption soon. 

Animal Services reminded owners that even if there is no room at their shelter, they can contact different organizations to see if they can help care for the pets. 

Anyone who witnesses or suspects animal abuse or neglect is urged to contact Mission Viejo Animal Services at (949) 470-3045.