AZ Humane Society confiscates 'neglected' dogs, puppies

PHOENIX - Dirty, skinny, and hot, several pit-bull puppies are getting a second chance at a better life thanks to concerned neighbors like Nicholas Christopher.

"The owner of them just never gave them any food or water, and they are just covered with ticks," he said.

Christopher convinced his mother to call animal control after noticing the puppies were being neglected.

He said they were living with no food, no shelter and left with a trickle of dirty water.

"In the corner is a mudpile where the water spills out. They try to get into the water because they are so hot," Valerie Newman with the Arizona Humane Society said.

Christopher told ABC15 the neglect had been going on for some time.

"The owner don't even care about them," he said.

When Phoenix police officers arrived, they found some of the dogs had been fighting and were bleeding.

Officers tell us they had been living in poor conditions even compared to what they see on a daily basis.

"We see a good amount of neglect cases," Mim Cohane with AHS said. "It's very heartbreaking because if you cannot take care of an animal, you shouldn't have one. That's the bottom line."

Phoenix police called in the Arizona Humane Society, which confiscated the dogs so they can receive medical care, adequate food and some love.

The owner will have a chance to claim the dogs, but was not around while officers were at the scene.