More than 100 puppies had to be pulled from a van one-by-one after it overturned on a highway in the US earlier in the week.
Four puppies remain at the Finger Lakes SPCA (FLSPCA) after the crash on Tuesday (local time), two of them seriously injured and two others requiring medical care.
New York police say a woman was driving the 104 puppies to drop them off to pet stores, when she lost control of the box van and crashed into a ditch.
She had been travelling at an "unsafe speed", police say.
"Young puppies of varying breed types, including many toy and smaller breeds, were removed from a transport van one at a time by law enforcement," FLSPCA says on Facebook.
FLSPCA says the puppies were travelling from an assortment of out-of-state breeders.
There were earlier suspicions they were travelling from a puppy mill, but FLSPCA says there were no health issues indicating animal cruelty and they weren't able to keep the dogs.
"While we too abhor puppy mills, we know of no means to legally confiscate animals only because there is a strong likelihood that a puppy came from one," it says.
"Our agency actively works to prevent animal cruelty through our humane programs, the care of animal cruelty victims and by supporting area law enforcement with their investigations as requested."
FLSPCA is trying to get ownership of the four puppies who still require care in order to rehome them.
The remaining puppies were released back to the transport company, who covered related board and veterinary expenses for the pups.
Newshub.
