Police Locate Owners of Abandoned Puppies in Oxford and Charlton 2026

Key Points

• Oxford police have found the owners of five abandoned puppies discovered in Oxford and Charlton, Massachusetts, on Saturday, 7 November 2026.
• The puppies are Cane Corso mixes from the same litter and are about eight days old.
• A tip led investigators to a home on City Depot Road in Charlton, where the dogs went missing between Thursday, 5 November, and Saturday, 7 November.
• The homeowners agreed to surrender the litter after officers contacted them, Oxford Police Chief Jeromy Grniet said.
• Animal control officials in Auburn, Massachusetts, are caring for the five puppies.
• Police have not filed criminal charges and are asking residents and businesses for Ring or security camera footage to determine how the dogs were abandoned.

Oxford (Oxford Daily) November 14, 2026 – Law enforcement authorities in Massachusetts have successfully traced and identified the owners of five newborn puppies that were discovered abandoned at separate roadside locations across Oxford and Charlton over the weekend.

According to Oxford Police Chief Jeromy Grniet, investigators followed a community tip to a residence on City Depot Road in neighbouring Charlton, subsequently securing the homeowners’ agreement to formally surrender the eight-day-old Cane Corso litter.

The five animals, which were found exposed to hazardous outdoor conditions on Saturday evening, are now safely in the custody of animal control in Auburn while detectives continue to review local security footage before deciding whether criminal charges will be pursued.

Where were the abandoned puppies found in Oxford and Charlton?

Concerned residents discovered the five young dogs scattered across several separate roads in the area on the evening of Saturday, 7 November 2026.

As reported by Isabela Iannucci of Hoodline, citing initial details from Boston 25 and the Oxford Police Department, the puppies were located along Clara Barton Road, Federal Hill Road, Buffum Dam Road, and Old Webster Road.

Officers noted that the newborn Cane Corso mixes, believed to be roughly eight days old and from a single litter, had been left vulnerable and exposed to potentially dangerous conditions.

Following their rescue, the Oxford Police Department coordinated closely with local animal welfare personnel to ensure the animals received immediate attention.

How did Massachusetts police locate the owners of the five puppies?

Investigators initially struggled to identify who had left the animals on the four roadways and issued an urgent public appeal for assistance from local residents and businesses.

As reported by Paul Burton of CBS Boston, police subsequently received a decisive tip indicating that the dogs originated from a private property on City Depot Road in Charlton.

Further enquiries established that the puppies had gone missing from the Charlton address at some point between Thursday, 5 November, and Saturday, 7 November.

According to New Bedford Guide, Oxford Police Chief Jeromy Grniet explained that the animals appeared slightly malnourished and uncared for, which prompted closer intervention alongside animal control officers.

After making contact with the homeowners in Charlton, police successfully secured their agreement to officially surrender the entire litter.

What statements did Oxford Police Chief Jeromy Grniet make regarding the investigation?

Although the owners have been identified and the puppies surrendered, Chief Grniet emphasised that detectives are still working to piece together the exact sequence of events that led to the dogs being scattered across town boundaries.

As reported by Paul Burton of CBS Boston, Chief Jeromy Grniet urged local residents to check their home surveillance systems, stating: “You got Ring cameras, just give us a call, let us know, we can try to put things together. We’re trying to figure out what happened. Obviously, these puppies didn’t appear there on their own.”

In a separate update covered by New Bedford Guide, Chief Jeromy Grniet criticised the manner in which the newborn animals were left behind, noting that support services were readily accessible to pet owners facing difficulties.

Chief Jeromy Grniet stated: “We have other alternatives for them, if they couldn’t care for the puppies, we could’ve helped them.”

Are criminal charges being filed in the Massachusetts puppy abandonment case?

As of Friday, 13 November 2026, law enforcement officials confirmed that no criminal charges have been filed against the homeowners or any other individual in connection with the incident.

The matter remains under active investigation by the Oxford Police Department as officers seek to determine precisely who transported and deposited the litter along the roadways.

Detectives continue to request that residents and commercial properties near Clara Barton Road, Federal Hill Road, Buffum Dam Road, and Old Webster Road review security or doorbell camera recordings captured between 5:00 pm and 6:45 pm on Saturday, 7 November, for any suspicious vehicles or individuals.

Meanwhile, all five puppies are being cared for by animal control officials in Auburn and are not yet available for public adoption.

What is the background of the animal abandonment investigation in Oxford and Charlton?

The investigation began on the night of Saturday, 7 November 2026, when members of the public alerted Oxford authorities after finding newborn puppies left unattended at multiple locations across the town.

As reported by WHDH 7News, police immediately launched an appeal for witnesses to help identify whoever was responsible for leaving the young dogs exposed to the elements.

At the outset of the enquiry, the Oxford Animal Resource Centre and local officials noted that strays and abandoned animals placed on a standard five-day hold cannot be immediately adopted, though temporary fostering arrangements are permitted during the mandatory waiting period.

The Oxford Police Department publicly thanked community members and animal control personnel for their swift cooperation during the initial rescue phase, which ultimately generated the tip leading investigators across the town line into Charlton.

What are the predictions for local residents, pet owners, and animal welfare services?

For residents and pet owners across Oxford, Charlton, and surrounding Worcester County communities, the ongoing investigation underscores the growing role of residential doorbell cameras and community tip lines in resolving local animal welfare cases.

If submitted surveillance footage from the 5:00 pm to 6:45 pm window on 7 November identifies a specific vehicle or individual responsible for depositing the puppies along the four roads, prosecutors may pursue animal cruelty or abandonment charges under Massachusetts state law.

For local animal control agencies in Auburn and Oxford, the immediate priority remains stabilising the health of the eight-day-old Cane Corso mixes, who require intensive neonatal care given their young age and initial signs of malnourishment.

Once veterinary assessments confirm the puppies are healthy and any legal holds linked to the police investigation are cleared, Auburn animal control is expected to transition the litter toward authorised foster care or permanent adoption placements.