SPCA asks for help after 2 litters of puppies found abandoned in Center City

The Pennsylvania SPCA is asking for the community’s help after two separate litters of puppies were found abandoned in Center City.

According to the SPCA, the first litter was found on Dec. 26, 2025, and the second litter was found this past weekend on April 18, 2026. The organization said it is now hoping people will come forward with information about either litter — including where the puppies came from, who may have abandoned them or the whereabouts of six missing puppies from the most recent litter.

The first litter was found in a parking garage just off N. Bread and Cherry Streets.

On Dec. 26, 2025, the PSPCA’s Animal Law Enforcement team was contacted after six puppies, estimated to be just 3-4 weeks old, were found abandoned at that location.

The puppies were taken to the PSPCA, where they received the care they needed, and have since been adopted, according to a spokesperson.

The second litter was found in the area of Arch and Bread Streets.

SPCA Animal Law Enforcement officers recovered seven puppies at that location; however, the organization said witnesses reported having seen at least 13 puppies. Therefore, six puppies remain unaccounted for.

For that reason, the SPCA is urging anyone who may have taken the missing puppies to take them immediately to its headquarters, adding that their safe return is critical in the investigation and for the health and welfare of the animals themselves.

“Seeing a pattern of abandoned litters discovered so close together is deeply troubling,” said Julie Klim, CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA. “These puppies were left defenseless and completely dependent on the kindness of strangers to survive. We are asking the public to help us now. If you took a puppy from the Old City scene, please bring them to us. If you know anything about how these two separate litters ended up abandoned in such close proximity or who may be responsible, please contact us immediately.”

If you have any information that could help the SPCA in this investigation, you are asked to contact the organization’s Animal Cruelty Hotline immediately at 866-601-7722 or cruelty@pspca.org. Tips can be left anonymously.