1 arrested for animal cruelty after multiple dead, sick puppies found on Chaffee County property

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A Salida resident is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after deputies found multiple dead puppies and chickens on their property while responding to an anonymous tip.

According to the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), a deputy was dispatched to a property just west of Salida after the office's dispatch center received an anonymous complaint about possible animal cruelty happening at the home.

When the deputy arrived, he found three puppies and two chickens already dead, the sheriff's office said.

Two other puppies were found on the property, along with an adult dog. According to the deputy, none of the dogs had access to food or water. Because of the poor living conditions, he confiscated the three surviving dogs, CCSO said.

The sheriff's office said the Ark Valley Humane Society worked to transport the surviving dogs and provide them with critically needed care. The deceased puppies were also seized for examination.

CCSO said, unfortunately, because of the poor condition the dogs were found in, another puppy died a short time after being removed from the home.

Necropsies of the deceased dogs determined that all four puppies died from severe dehydration, starvation, secondary infections and lack of veterinarian care, the sheriff's office said.

Following the necropsies, the property's owner, 29-year-old Sage Maupin, was arrested on Oct. 2. Maupin has since been released from the Chaffee County Detention Center on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond. Maupin faces six counts of animal cruelty, all class one misdemeanors.

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