The Springfield Police Department says a man has been charged with Animal Abandonment after a box of puppies was left near a bus stop. According to SPD, a community member found the bus near a box stop on 54th Street on December 5, 2024.

Police say the individual heard noises coming from the box and found that it contained six puppies that were several weeks old.

Springfield Animal Control took possession of the puppies before they were transported to Greenhill Human Society.

The box had been taped completely closed without ventilation, food, water, or an attempt to keep the puppies warm, according to SPD. Police say the box had a shipping label and the address of Jeff Dugger.

SPD says Dugger called the Greenhill Humane Society roughly 24 hours before the puppies were found and threatened to dispose of them if GHS did not take them “immediately”. 72-year-old Jeffrey Lynn Dugger has been charged with six counts of Animal Abandonment – Cruelty.