A woman walking her dog along a path near the 1600 block of Harford Square Drive in Edgewood alerted a neighbor's son to a crate covered in blankets earlier this month, and what he found inside was two dead puppies. The animals, a male terrier-type with brindle coloring and a female tan terrier-type wearing a multicolored collar with pink clasps, had been dumped just on the other side of neighbor Barbara Parton's fence near J Court, according to investigators.
Parton told CBS News Baltimore affiliate WJZ that she was shocked when she removed the coverings and discovered the dogs already dead. The crate had been wrapped in a brown sheer sheet and a yellow textured plastic sheet, according to Shore News Network, though Parton described the covering to WJZ as two blankets. The dogs were found on August 22, and Harford County Animal Control officials have since been investigating the deaths alongside the Harford County Sheriff's Office, which is examining whether the case could involve criminal animal cruelty.
Puppies Believed to Be Just Weeks Old
The two puppies were approximately four to six weeks old, small dogs believed to be terriers, per the station's report. Parton said it remains unknown whether the dogs starved to death or had already died before being placed inside the crate. Harford County officials have said they fear the animals may have suffered before dying, though the exact circumstances of their deaths have not been determined.
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said people should not dump animals regardless of the circumstances they're facing. “You do not have to let a dog suffer,” he said, according to the same CBS News report. Investigators have reviewed security video and interviewed people in the community as they try to identify who left the dogs in the crate.
Legal Stakes for Whoever Is Responsible
Gahler said any potential criminal charges in the case would likely be misdemeanors, and officials had not yet decided whether to perform a necropsy on the dogs to establish an exact cause of death, as reported by the same station. Under Maryland Criminal Law Section 10-604, misdemeanor animal abuse or neglect carries up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine per count, according to FrizWoods. That penalty increases under Section 10-604.1 to up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if the neglect results in the animal's death.
Felony charges carry a much higher bar. Maryland Criminal Law Section 10-606 classifies intentional torture, cruel beating, or intentional killing of an animal as felony aggravated animal cruelty, with penalties of up to three years in state prison and fines up to $5,000, per FrizWoods. Proving that level of intent typically depends on forensic evidence, which is part of why a necropsy could matter in a case like this one. Statewide, misdemeanor charges dominate this category of crime — Maryland District Courts saw 2,052 misdemeanor animal abuse or neglect charges filed in fiscal year 2024, resulting in 180 guilty dispositions, compared with just 79 felony aggravated animal cruelty charges filed statewide, according to figures from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services.
Resources Exist for Owners Who Can't Keep a Pet
Harford County Animal Control has said people can surrender dogs to the Humane Society rather than abandon them, and the agency itself provides dog surrender pickup services. The Humane Society of Harford County in Fallston accepts owner-surrendered pets by appointment and offers support services, including a pet food bank and free behavioral guidance, intended to help residents avoid relinquishing or abandoning animals, according to the Humane Society of Harford County. Surrender still requires an appointment and proof of ownership, leaving open the question of why the person or people responsible for these two puppies chose to leave them in a crate along a public walking path instead.
Harford County Animal Control is asking anyone with information about the origin or ownership of the dogs to call its office at 410-638-3505. The agency runs regular weekday hours with 24-hour emergency coverage, and after-hours animal cruelty calls are routed through the Harford County Sheriff's Office dispatch line, per the Animal Emergency Hospital. Investigators have not announced any arrests or identified suspects as the search for answers continues.
Part of a Recurring Pattern in Harford County
This is not the first time Harford County has grappled with a large-scale animal welfare case. In August 2024, county authorities seized 40 neglected animals from a local property following years of community complaints, as Hoodline previously reported. That earlier case underscored how animal welfare enforcement in the county often hinges on tips from neighbors and passersby, much like the walk that led to the discovery of the crate off Harford Square Drive.
