33 Chihuahuas Found In SUV Leads To Animal Cruelty Charges

WHEATON, MD — A man from Wheaton is facing animal cruelty charges after 33 abused Chihuahuas were found in his SUV last fall, according to reports.

Javier Enrique Peralta, 41, is accused of keeping the Chihuahuas in dire straits. He faces 33 counts of animal cruelty.

A 911 call made in September alerted police to dozens of dogs left alone in a Ford Expedition that was parked at an apartment complex in Aspen Hill.

All of the dogs were seized by police. The dogs were in various states of health, but 18 appeared to be starving or malnourished, The Washington Post reports.

Some of the dogs were dehydrated or had overgrown nails, while three of the dogs were pregnant.

A 4-moth-old puppy had to be euthanized, even after eight hours of emergency medial care. A necropsy of the puppy showed its stomach contained uncooked rice, plant material and tin foil.

Court documents said the necropsy was evidence of “foraging behavior consistent with an animal that is ingesting anything it can find,” The Post reports.

“No reasonable person could think that this was okay,” animal control investigator Jack Breckenridge told The Post.

Peralta disputes the abuse charges. He said he was evicted from his home and was in the process of taking the dogs to a new home.

“For them to say cruelty,” Peralta said, “it’s just not true.”

Peralta is scheduled to appear for trial at the Montgomery County Circuit Court in July.

See the full story on The Post here.

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