It’s hard to imagine how anyone could ever hurt a dog, let along adorable, innocent little puppies.

Yet the Scottsdale Police Department have been dealing with a situation involving mistreated, malnourished baby dogs. A police officer recently rescued recovered four young puppies as part of an animal cruelty case. According to officials, 20-year-old Gerardo Aguirre was arrested for neglecting the puppies who were found in his car, covered in fecal matter, shivering and underfed.

Police shared photos of the adorable, recovering puppies on its Facebook page Wednesday.

Upon finding the pups, Officer Stacie Gryzenia immediately took them to Scottsdale Animal Hospital for evaluation. The two-month-old German Shepherd pup seems to be on the mend, but three black lab mixes are only four weeks old and need a lot of care before being ready for a foster home.

As the puppies continue to grow stronger, Aguirre remains in custody on animal cruelty and other misdemeanor charges.

Photo: Facebook/ Scottsdale Police Department