A 20-year-old man was taken into custody in Scottsdale after officers seized four puppies that appeared to be neglected, according to police.
Gerardo Aguirre was arrested for animal cruelty and other misdemeanor charges, according to Scottsdale police.
On Monday at 1:30 a.m., officers found Aguirre by his vehicle in a parking lot of Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Police say officers found four puppies, one German Shepherd, and three black Labrador Retrievers, inside the car that appeared to be neglected, malnourished, covered in fecal matter and were shivering at the time of the incident.
A spokeswoman with the Arizona Humane Society says the pups were taken to AHS' trauma hospital for treatment.
The Labrador Retrievers were malnourished and are recovering from giardia, a parasite that infects the gastrointestinal tract of a dog and can cause diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss and lethargy, the AHS spokeswoman said.
Typically dogs become sick with giardia if they've consumed water contaminated with feces, AHS officials said. The infection can be passed on to animals and people.
After the group is released from the hospital they'll continue their recovery at an AHS Foster Hero home.
