Swatara Township, Pa. - The Humane Society of Harrisburg Area has filed animal cruelty charges against a Dauphin County man who admits he put five newborn puppies in a trash can.

John Walls, 29, of Lykens, faces a minimum of $5,000 in fines and possible jail time if convicted of the five misdemeanor counts, according to a Humane Society spokesperson.

One of the beagle puppies had died by the time sanitation workers found it June 2. A second died shortly after arriving at the Humane Society shelter. The remaining three pups died of complications from exposure during their time in the trash can, according to spokesperson Kelly Hitz.

"This is an example of what can happen if someone does not utilize the resources available to them," Hitz said in a news release. "If someone finds themselves in a similar situation, we would encourage them to contact the Humane Society for help."

Walls has said he didn't do anything to harm the animals. He said he thought the puppies were already dead because they showed no signs of life after they were born.

The state Department of Agriculture (web | news) cited him last week with abandonment and not having licenses for five adult dogs.

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