Dead puppies found near 9th hole of Chester Co. golf course

Police in Chester County are investigating after more than half a dozen dead puppies were found dumped along the ninth hole of a golf course in Caln Township on Monday.

According to police, officials were contacted after seven dead puppies, described as pit bull terriers, were found dumped on the 9th hole, about 130 yards off of the U.S. Route 30 bypass, at the Ingleside Golf Course on Monday.

Law enforcement officials with the Caln Township Police Department said that the puppies were all believed to be between six and eight weeks old and appeared to be from the same litter.

"I'm sure someone would want to love them and care for them and adopt them. This is no way to dispose of seven six to eight week old puppies," Caln Township Police Department Chief Joseph Elias said.

Officials did not say how the dogs died.

The remains of the animals, police believe, were left at the golf course within 12 and 18 hours of being discovered.

Law enforcement officials said that the Brandywine Valley SPCA is assisting with the investigation.

A representative of the BVSPCA told NBC10 that this incident was a "really sad situation."

"This is a really sad situation, but all we can hope is someone may know something. These animals deserved better than to be treated like trash," the representative said.

People living along the golf course say they are sad and frustrated about what happened.

"Extremely senseless and sad. Everyone here is saddened. Very disappointing to see relatively healthy puppies just left to die," Ingleside Golf Club general manager Nicole Shannon said.

Neither the golf course nor the people who play here likely had anything to do with the death of the litter, and if you think local police are taking this lightly...think again.

"We are in the process of interviewing neighbors. Officers have done grid searches of the course, but at this point we are really hoping someone from the public comes forward and provides information that can help us find the person or people responsible," Police Chief Elias said.

Whatever the situation might have been with the owners of the puppies, the SPCA and police say this was absolutely the wrong way to handle it.

"We have intake processes for people who need to surrender. We have low-cost spay, neuter, low-cost vet care, sometimes free vet care, free pet food, free vaccine clinics. We have so many resources for the community available to help avoid situations like this," Sara Smith of the SPCA told NBC10.

If you want to help make a slight silver lining to this story, you can play Ingleside now through the weekend. They are taking $5 from every greens fee and donating it to the Brandywine Valley SPCA.

BVSPCA has an anonymous tip line available for anyone who may know something: https://bvspca.org/need-help/reporting-cruelty

Anyone with information is asked to call Caln Township Police at 610-383-1821 or 610-383-7000.