The director of Lauderdale County’s animal shelter said Monday that he was trying to find out who abandoned 15 puppies early Friday morning, when the outside temperature was near freezing.

Rocky Rockette said the dogs, which he estimated were six weeks old, were left in one crate outside the shelter on Cooper Avenue in Meridian. 

“They were covered in urine and some of them with feces, and of course they were cold,” Rockette said. 

He said the crate was dropped off around 4:30 a.m. 

At that hour, the outside temperature in Meridian was 33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson. 

Staff did not discover the puppies until 8 a.m., when the shelter opened.

“It’s frustrating,” Rockette said. “We work hard to try to provide the best care and someone dumps some puppies that we have no background on.”

Shelter staff worked to get the dogs warm and clean.

Some of the animals had to be treated for worms. 

Rockette said he was trying to find an animal rescue organization to take them from the overburdened shelter. 

If law enforcement is able to determine who’s responsible for abandoning the puppies, Rockette said he was interested in pressing charges. 

“In my opinion, for a good many people here…they don’t care for animals like they should,” Rockette said. “That person could have waited a few more hours.”