DANVILLE, Va. (AP) — A reward is being offered for the person or persons responsible for abandoning four newborn puppies at a trash site in Danville.

The puppies died despite efforts by shelter workers to provide them nourishment, including pairing them with a nursing mother cat.

The Register & Bee (http://bit.ly/1x2bG2P ) reports that the puppies were found Tuesday in two bags.

Because the puppies died, their abandonment could be prosecuted under cruelty statutes. The misdemeanor provides for a jail sentence and a fine, or both.

The Danville Area Humane Society is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible in the abandonment.

___

Information from: Danville Register & Bee, http://www.registerbee.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.