Two arrested after puppies buried alive

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. (FOX NEWS) - Two people have been arrested after a terrible case of animal cruelty out of North Carolina that involved puppies being buried alive.

Investigators say Marquise Johnson and Emily Gray shot the mother and father dogs and buried their five pit bull-mix puppies.

A neighbor saw headlights on an abandoned property and called police.  When officials arrived, they found three male and two female puppies buried alive behind an abandoned farmhouse.

The 3-week-old pups are currently being cared for by a surrogate mom in a local shelter.  Now, the shelter is seeking donations for their care and a temporary home for the young animals.

"Powdered milk for them, baby bottles and stuff like that, so if we have to start bottle-feeding them, we will have the means to do that," shelter manager Wayne Benton explained. 

If all goes well, the dogs will be ready for adoption in late February.

The suspects, meanwhile, face five counts of animal cruelty -- one for each puppy.  There could be additional charges for the other dogs' deaths.

Johnson was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

"I just don't understand what goes through people's minds when they do something like that," animal control officer James Smith offered.

"Sometimes it's heartbreaking, but the good that we try to do makes up for the bad things you see," Benton added.