A 54-year-old man was arrested today, Thursday, Nov. 10, and accused of dumping 10 puppies in a dumpster and leaving them for dead, police said.
Police arrested Ricky Dale Lewis at a motel where he was staying in Aransas Pass, said Port Aransas Police Lt. James Stokes. Although Lewis was staying at the motel, he listed Port Aransas as his home address, said Executive Lt. Darryl Johnson of the Port Aransas Police Department.
Lewis is charged with 10 Class A misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, Stokes said. He was being held this morning at the Port Aransas Police Department for later transport to the Nueces County Jail in Corpus Christi. Bond has been set at $1,000, according to Johnson.
Lewis owned both the mother and father of the puppies, Johnson said.
The mixed-breed pups were found in a dumpster in the area of Beach Lodge on Oct. 7. They later were turned over to the Port Aransas Animal Shelter.
Police said it took a while to make the arrest partly because the investigation took time. In addition, Johnson said, when police talked to Lewis, he agreed to turn himself in, but he didn’t, and officers had to track him down.
The puppies, which have been described as healthy mixed breeds, will be up for adoption at the shelter during an Adorable and Adoptable Day scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 12. The event, to be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is being sponsored by the non-profit Animal Friends of Port Aransas.
The animal shelter is at 409 W. Cotter Ave., behind the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau.