Litter of puppies found dead at Chester County golf course

CALN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- Police in Chester County have launched an animal cruelty investigation after multiple puppies were found dead at a local golf course.

The Caln Township Police Department said in a social media post on July 22 that a litter of seven puppies was found dead around the ninth hole of the Ingleside Golf Course in Caln Township, near the US Route 30 bypass.

"Early indications are that the deceased puppies were placed there by a person, or persons, within 12-18 hours of being discovered," police said.

Investigators said all of the puppies appeared to be from the same litter of pit bull terriers and were all 6-8 weeks old.

CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to Ingleside Golf Course for comment.

In August 2017, Pennsylvania's anti-cruelty law, Libre's Law, went into effect to strengthen legal protection for animals. According to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, penalties for animal abuse have increased, though more than 52,000 cases of abuse have been reported since 2017.

Anyone with information on the puppies or who might've dumped them at the golf course is asked to call Caln Township Police at 610-383-1821 or 610-383-7000. The SPCA is also assisting with the investigation.

CBS News Philadelphia intern Moira Vaughan contributed to this story.